Agenda item

            The Strategic Director of City and Neighbourhood Services submitted the undernoted report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues

1.1       The Committee is asked to note that this event was approved at the People and Communities committee held on Tuesday 05th March however was deferred at the meeting of full Council on Monday 08th April pending exploration by Council officers into whether the event has been delivered in previous years without issue.

2.0       Recommendation

2.1       The Committee is asked to grant authority to the applicant for the proposed event on the dates noted and to delegate authority to the Director of Neighbourhood Services to ensure satisfactory terms and conditions of use via an appropriate legal agreement prepared by the City Solicitor, including managing final booking confirmation dates and flexibility around ‘set up’ & take down’ periods, and booking amendments, subject to:

-       The organizers resolving any operational issues to the Council’s satisfaction.

-       The organizers carrying out appropriate resident & community engagement.

-       The organizers meeting all the statutory requirements of the Planning and Building Control Service including the terms and conditions of the Park’s Entertainment Licence.

2.2       Please note that the above recommendations are taken as a pre-policy position in advance of the Council agreeing a more structured framework and policy for ‘Events’, which is currently being taken forward in conjunction with the Councils Commercial team.

3.0       Main Report

3.1       Key Issues

            The event organisers are Finaghy Community Association. The group formed in 2020 in response to COVID and successfully operated a foodbank in the area supporting elderly and vulnerable people during difficult times. The group then started volunteering and organising events for the community delivering their first festival event in 2021 and again in 2022. 

3.2       Since forming back in 2020 the group have been building capacity to deliver a range of community-based support.

3.3       Council received this year’s event booking form from the organisers in January 2024. Since receipt of the booking form the organisers have further submitted their event management plan.

3.4       The festival will take place over 3 days from Friday 16th August to Sunday 18th August. The event involves family fun entertainment during the day and live music at night. Other activity includes a history exhibition and walk, a seniors tea dance and a food tasting session.

3.5       The live music element will be serviced with a bar serving alcohol so a drinks license will be in place.

3.6       The group have applied to the Police Property Fund to help fund the event.

3.7       The entertainment license for the park will be transferred to the organisers via an appropriate site legal agreement.

3.8       Colleagues in building control are aware of the application made to City and Neighbourhood services and will be engaging with the event organiser to ensure the terms of the entertainment license are adhered to.

3.9       Building control have checked their previous files on this event for issues and have noted some noise disturbance at the 2021 event that was addressed and rectified for the 2022 event with no further issues or complaints received.

3.10      The PSNI have confirmed that they have no issues recorded specific to the running of the event in 2021 or 2022. The only note they have on record was the need for the entertainment license to be in place prior to them making a recommendation to the courts to grant the liquor license. 

3.11      Financial and Resource Implications

            There are no known financial or resource implications with these requests.

3.12      Equality or Good Relations Implications/

            Rural Needs Assessment

            There are no known implications.”

            After discussion, Committee granted authority to the applicant for the proposed event on the dates noted and delegated authority to the Director of City and Neighbourhood Services to ensure satisfactory terms and conditions of use via an appropriate legal agreement prepared by the City Solicitor, including managing final booking confirmation dates and flexibility around ‘set up’ and take down’ periods, and booking amendments, subject to:

-             The organisers resolving any operational issues to the Council’s satisfaction.

-             The organisers carrying out appropriate resident and community engagement.

-             The organisers meeting all the statutory requirements of the Planning and Building Control Service including the terms and conditions of the Park’s Entertainment Licence.