Council's ruling on increased capacity bid at Lytham Festival

Cuffe and Taylor had applied to Fylde Council for a change to its licence for the Festival, which has so far limited the maximum audience figure at a single concert to 19,999.

But a council licensing panel has decided that an increase to a 22,500 on the Friday and Sunday of the Festival this year – when Sting on the Friday and Def Leppard and Motley Crue on the Sunday are the headliners – is sufficient, with those nights acting as trials as to whether there might be any similar increase in future years.

The council has also imposed a condition that Cuffe and Taylor should assist in setting up a community liaison group with a remit to facilitate discussion between the promoters and the local community about the festival, which will be coordinated by Fylde Council or such other person or body as the council approves, comprising representatives of the local community and a senior representative of Cuffe and Taylor.

The setting up of that group was announced by Cuffe and Taylor within a few hours of the panel hearing.

After the promoters’ initial application for an increase 29,999 attracted more than 100 representations from “other persons”, of which 71 were opposed to it, Cuffe and Taylor modified their proposal ahead of the panel hearing to a maximum of 22,500 on the Friday and Sunday of the festival in 2023,with the other nights this year remaining at 19,999, and the capacity on all days of the festival from 2024 onwards 24,999.

The licensing panel said in its decision: “It became clear during the hearing that the major concerns of the majority of those who objected to the application were not what went on within the festival site during the time the festival was held, but the impact on the community of Lytham of such a large number of people arriving for the festival, accessing it and leaving it.

"Objections highlighted issues around car parking, access to residential streets, the use of public spaces and private gardens as toilets and, in general, the impact of the festival on the day to day lives of local people and on some local businesses.

“We understand those concerns. Lytham is a small town, with a population in the region of 9,000. Even without the increased capacity that the application seeks, during the festival there can be twice as

many people in Lytham who are attending the festival as people who live there.

"There are many positive things about this. As the applicants and those who support the application pointed out, the festival has enhanced the profile of Lytham nationally, provides a significant boost to some local businesses (particularly those in the hospitality sector), and generally engenders local pride.

"Very few of those who objected expressed opposition to the festival per se. Many were careful to stress that their issue was only with the intended increase the number of people who can attend.

“We share the concerns about the effect on the community of an increase in the number of people who can attend the festival.

"While the increase in the footprint of the licenced area will mean that a greater number of people can be safely accommodated in the arena itself, we were not persuaded that there is capacity in Lytham to absorb the additional numbers who would visit for the festival, even as reduced by the condition offered by the applicant.

"It was clear from the evidence we heard that daily life for many in Lytham is made less convenient during the festival, and for some is made highly inconvenient.

"For many, getting access to their homes in a vehicle becomes something that has to be planned for and even negotiated. For others, rowdiness and anti-social behaviour, even to the extent

of the use of public and private open spaces for toilet provision, becomes a regular occurrence. Increasing the number of people visiting the Festival risks such problems getting worse.

“We acknowledge that issues around parking and access are outside the direct control of the applicant. We also acknowledge that the behaviour of people who have attended the festival cannot be

controlled by the applicant after they have left the festival.

“Licensing authorities should not normally take matters that occur away from the licenced premises into account when considering applications for premises licences but in this case we believe that there is good reason to depart from the guidance and to take the off-site impact of the festival into account.

"The overriding impact of the festival on the day-to-day life of significant parts of the local community means that it would be wholly artificial to disregard the public nuisance impacts of the festival that occur outside the licenced area when considering the application. Our decision therefore takes those impacts into account.

“The success of the festival depends in a sense on a partnership between the organisers and the local community, who accept the

disruption that comes with the festival for the positives that it brings.

"An increase to 24,999 is, in our judgment, a step too far. Increasing the capacity of the event by 25 per cent would cause significant risk of the impacts on the community being elevated to an unacceptable level. While the increase proposed for 2023, to 22,500 persons, is smaller, it is far from immaterial.

"We feel that it would be appropriate for the increase to 22,500 to be trailed during 2023, so that the decision on any further application for a

permanent increase could be informed by the real -life experience of the two nights in 2023 to which the increase applies.

“We also take on board the suggestion, which was accepted by the applicants, that the present community engagement measures should be set out in a condition and subject to the oversight of the council.”

The panel decided to grant the licence as applied for, subject to the following conditions:

That the maximum number of attendees at the festival at any one time is limited to 19,999, except for Friday 30 June 2023 and Sunday 2 July 2023, when the maximum will be

22,500, unless (for any date) the Safety Advisory Group recommends that the maximum number should be lower;

That the applicant should assist in setting up a community liaison group whose remit will be to facilitate discussion between the applicant and the local community about the

festival, which will be coordinated by Fylde Council or such other person or body as the council approves, and which will comprise such representatives of the local community in

Lytham and a senior responsible representative of the applicant.

Lytham Festival co-founders Daniel Cuffe and Peter Taylor said: “We welcome the decision by the licensing committee to approve our request for an increase in capacity for two nights this year and we look forward to a successful Lytham Festival 2023.

“As we plan for the future we will continue discussions with Fylde Borough Council and the relevant authorities.

“During the licensing hearing we suggested launching a Lytham Festival Community Focus Group to provide a direct line of communication between local residents, the business community and ourselves as event organisers. Full details of this have now been announced and applications from members of the public are welcome.”

Cuffe and Taylor confirmed that the Lytham Festival Community Focus Group will meet four times a year and provide a direct line of communication between the local residential and business community and the event organisers. Members will be given the opportunity to represent the views and ambitions of the town while also highlighting community projects that can be supported by the festival for the overall benefit of residents, businesses and visitors.

Peter Taylor said: “We have always prided ourselves on listening to our local community, answering their questions and, where relevant, acting on suggestions they have.

“It has become clear that some residents and businesses feel there needs to be a more formal approach to this and, as ever, we have taken those comments onboard which is why I am delighted to formally announce the launch of a dedicated Lytham Festival Community Focus Group.

Peter Taylor said: “We have always prided ourselves on listening to our local community, answering their questions and, where relevant, acting on suggestions they have.

“It has become clear that some residents and businesses feel there needs to be a more formal approach to this and, as ever, we have taken those comments onboard which is why I am delighted to formally announce the launch of a dedicated Lytham Festival Community Focus Group.

“The continued support of residents and businesses is essential to the continued success of Lytham Festival and we look forward to working alongside our valued neighbours.”

More about the Lytham Festival Community Focus Group and how to apply to become a member www.lythamfestival.com/community-focus-group/