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Agenda item

Application for New Premises Licence

Summary      

To determine an application for a new Premises Licence made by Anthropos Experience Ltd, for Existance Festival at Land East Of Boldridge Farm, Crudwell Lane, Long Newnton.

 

Recommendation

That the Licensing Sub-Committee is asked, in light of the representations received, to consider the application and determine whether to:-

  • grant the application as requested.
  • grant the application subject to such conditions that are necessary to promote the licensing objectives.
  • refuse the application in whole or in part where it is necessary in order to promote the licensing objectives.

 

Minutes:

The purpose of the item was to determine an application for a new Premises Licence made by Anthropos Experience Ltd, for Existance Festival at Land East Of Boldridge Farm, Crudwell Lane, Long Newnton.

 

The Chair introduced the item by stating the four licensing objectives which the Sub-Committee was required to consider in their determination of the application;

 

·         the prevention of crime and disorder;

·         public safety;

·         the prevention of public nuisance;

·         the protection of children from harm.

 

The Licensing Officer introduced the application.  The purpose of the application was for a new premises licence forExistance Festival at Land East of Boldridge Farm, Crudwell Lane, Long Newnton. 

·         The Crime Prevention Team for Gloucestershire Constabulary had logged no objections and the proposed conditions had been accepted by the applicant.

·         The Technical Pollution Team had reviewed the application and noise management plan, and had no objections after agreeing the conditions, which were consulted on with Wiltshire Council's Environmental Protection Department.

·         The Highways Department attended the Safety Advisory Group meeting and remained in ongoing discussions with the applicant.

·         The Water Pollution Team had been in discussion with the applicant. This matter had been raised during the Safety Advisory Group meeting in relation to water provisions for attendees.

 

Members asked questions of the Licensing Officer, who provided the following answers:

·         Multiple agencies from Wiltshire had been present at the Safety Advisory Group meeting, and it was confirmed that cross-border working was taking place.

 

The Licensing Officer introduced the Applicant, who was Sven Mattes, the Festival Director of Existance Festival and Designated Premises Supervisor. The Applicant also introduced Ms Moran, Legal Representative, Daniel Wilde, Festival Promoter and Lead Investor, Chris Selkirk from Sustainable Festivals Limited and Jason Carruthers, Land Ambassador.

 

The Applicant made the following points:

·         Existance Festival had existed for four years, but this was a fresh application submitted by a new legal entity.

·         Mr Mattes was the premises licence holder for a licensed festival site in Hertfordshire with a capacity of 2,000 attendees and had no recorded regulatory issues.

·         Community objections focused primarily around four areas: noise nuisance; traffic nuisance, including concerns around emergency access and parking; the risk of increased crime and disorder; and concerns around the water supply.

·         Issues such as water provision, traffic, parking, and countryside use were planning matters rather than licensing concerns. It was further noted that the Highways and Planning Teams had raised no objection.

·         Environmental Health and Wiltshire Council's Environmental Protection Department had no objections, as the Applicant’s noise management plan was considered sufficient and compliant.

·         The Organisers had strengthened controls after a previous noise issue (linked to contractor failure), appointing experienced new management and planning for worst-case scenarios; noise levels had been assessed at residential façades with windows assumed open.

·         Highways Officers had raised no objection, and the applicant argued traffic and road safety were planning matters; a traffic management plan was in place to address risks on the narrow Crudwell Lane.

·         Traffic management measures included a one-way system, traffic stewards, emergency vehicle access arrangements, staggered arrivals/departures, shuttle services from Kemble, and incentives to reduce car use, with no evidence from highway experts of significant impact for the short event period.

·         Police and Wiltshire Council Crime Teams had raised no objections, and crime and disorder risks were considered low and adequately managed through agreed conditions and risk assessments.

·         Security measures included SIA-licensed staff, professional contractors, 20 stewards, daily briefings, search and seizure policies approved by police, a zero-tolerance approach to drugs/antisocial behaviour, and controlled eviction.

·         Procedures with onward transport to prevent dispersal into the local community.

·         The event was strictly 18+, with SIA-licensed security in place to enforce ID checks and entry controls to prevent under 18 access. If any child did enter, clear safeguarding procedures were in place to isolate them in a safe area and ensure contact with a parent/guardian or the local authority.

·         The Applicant proposed using water tankers to avoid strain on the local borehole. There were ongoing discussions around water management.

·         For waste, the festival would use a litter bond for campers (refunded only if campsites were left clean) and a dedicated waste management team to ensure full site clean-up after the event.

The Committee Members asked questions of the applicant who raised the following points:

·         Noise was controlled using on-site and off-site acoustic consultants working to UK daytime and night-time legal limits, with adjustments after 23:00.

·         Sound limiters were used at source (front-of-house) to automatically compress audio in real time, preventing DJs or performers from exceeding agreed decibel levels and ensuring off-site compliance.

·         The updated best practice guidance was said to reflect higher acceptable community noise levels than the 1995 Code of Practice, with many major venues (e.g., large parks and outdoor sites) already operating above those older limits, supported by modern industry standards.

·         Post-event noise monitoring data could be requested by the local authority’s Environmental Health Team and reviewed in a mandatory report, but it was not routinely made publicly available.

·         The applicant was complying with defined UK daytime and night-time noise limits (including agreed reduced levels after 23:00), which were intended to align with public protection requirements and avoid statutory nuisance.

·         It was acknowledged that no formal noise management plan had been shared with the Members in relation to the application.

 

The Environmental Health Officer confirmed that they had reviewed the noise management document, negotiated adjustments to it, and were satisfied it provided sufficient controls to prevent public nuisance.

 

Public speakers addressed the Committee who made the following objections:

David Roberts, Knights PLC speaking on behalf of Long Newton and Ashley Parish Councils.

·         Local residents raised concerns that the festival was unsuitable for the rural location, which was surrounded by residential and agricultural land.

·         It was noted that key documents, including the Event and Sound Management Plans, had not been seen by councillors, limiting scrutiny of how the event would be controlled.

·         Objections referred to the previous “Existance Festival” at Chiltern Park Farm and raised concerns about management and consultation history.

·         Concerns were raised about the adequacy of the site plan, emergency access arrangements, and the visibility of nearby homes, businesses, and agricultural uses.

·         Public safety and nuisance issues were highlighted, including traffic, parking, emergency access, water supply via local borehole, and potential impacts on livestock.

 

Speaker – Ward Member – Councillor Nikki Ind

·         The Councillor emphasised the need to protect attendees, residents, children, animals, and wildlife, and expressed concern that consultation with ParishCouncils, residents, and local businesses had been limited and often late.

·         Significant concerns were raised regarding highway safety and emergency access on a narrow rural single-track road, including traffic volumes, limited parking, lack of footpaths, potential verge damage, and questions over whether all landowners had consented to emergency access routes.

·         Additional issues were highlighted in relation to water supply from a local borehole, crime and disorder risks (including wildlife crime and alcohol-related incidents), noise and light impacts, public nuisance affecting nearby residents and businesses, and the adequacy of safeguarding measures for children, including impacts near schools and childcare settings.

 

Speaker – Councillor Roy Hamilton-Lambley – Crudwell Parish Council

·         The Councillor contended that Crudwell Lane was narrow, poorly maintained, and unsafe for increased traffic, including cycling, with concerns about potholes and general road condition.

 

Speaker – Nikki Burton - Melcourt Industries Ltd

·         The business raised concerns that the festival shared access routes with its operational horticultural site, where regular HGV movements were busiest during the proposed event period, creating potential conflicts between festival and commercial traffic.

·         They highlighted public safety risks from possible unauthorised access (including from nearby public rights of way), as well as concerns about congestion, parking spillover, and road safety on narrow rural lanes that could obstruct access and disrupt business operations.

Speaker – Andrew Tucker – Farmer

·         He expressed concern that engagement with local landowners and businesses was inadequate given the potential impact on multiple rural enterprises and employees in the area.

 

Speaker - Councillor George Collins - Kemble & Ewan Parish Council

·         Safeguarding concerns extended beyond children to vulnerable adults, with no provision made to identify, support, or provide safe spaces for them.

·         The submission also cited similar applications being refused elsewhere due to insufficient detail as relevant precedent for refusal.

 

Speaker - Di Thomas - Long Newton Parish Council

·         The applicants had made no contact despite proximity to the site and potential impacts.

·         Ecological impacts, specifically relating to a nearby protected bat species during breeding season, should be considered under licensing duties linked to crime and disorder legislation. Suggestions were made for ecological assessment, mitigation, or a bat licence where necessary.

 

Speaker - Eloise Stoker – resident - Tetbury Lane

·         Concerns that noise management plans addressed only amplified music, and did not adequately consider uncontrolled “human noise” such as shouting, socialising, and device use.

 

Speaker – Councillor Chuck Berry – Minety Parish Council

·         Increased vehicle charges intended to discourage car use may instead lead to displacement parking along narrow surrounding rural roads.

·         Requests for adjustment to event timing were not acted upon, indicating limited effectiveness of consultation and engagement.

 

Speaker - Don Oakley – Resident - Ashley

·         Concerns were raised about safety risks arising during late-night hours (around 2–3am), when festival-related traffic and any emergency movements would be taking place on narrow rural lanes also used by cyclists and horse riders.

 

Judy Pratt – Ashley Marsh Farm

·         Ms Pratt had refused permission for any pedestrian or vehicle access across her land, challenging assumptions around emergency or overflow access arrangements.

·         Concerns were also raised about trespass and unauthorised camping on neighbouring farmland

 

In summing up the Applicant made the following points:

·         The previous emergency access route across Ms Pratt’s land had related to an outdated site plan and was no longer proposed for use.

·         Emergency vehicle access would be via Crudwell Lane, with a Traffic Management Plan proposing directional east–west traffic flow.

·         Mitigation for water supply concerns included the possible use of private water tankers to supply the festival.

·         The Event Management Plan and Noise Management Plan had not been publicly circulated due to commercially sensitive and security-related content.

·         Traffic estimates of approximately 500–600 cars and around 900 vehicle movements per day were referenced, with commitment to coordinate delivery schedules with Melcourt Industries to avoid conflicts between large vehicles using the narrow access roads.

 

David Roberts, Knights PLC made the following points:

·         There was confusion over emergency access route changes.

·         The Safety Advisory Group process was challenged as the Group may not have physically visited the site, questioning whether proper on-site assessment had taken place.

·         The site was currently planted with wheat and potentially vulnerable to damage in wet conditions.

 

Members sought clarification regarding emergency access, stating that a revised access point has been identified approximately 100 metres from the previous location and was within land owned by the applicant/associated landowner.

The Licensing Officer stated that the licensing boundary plan defined where licensable activities would take place, and that changes to emergency access arrangements fell under Safety Planning rather than the licensing application itself.

 

The Land Ambassador (Jason Carruthers) confirmed that the Traffic Management Plan included a one-way system for access and exit to the site, intended to reduce conflicts and avoid interactions with Melcourt HGV traffic.

It was noted that HGV movements and coordination with nearby businesses (including Melcourt) would be managed through a call-ahead system to reduce the likelihood of vehicles meeting on the narrow lanes during operational hours.

 

Members left the room at 17:15 and the Committee reconvened at 19:45.

 

The Chair explained that the Sub-Committee had taken into account the requirements to promote the four licencing objectives. The Licensing Sub-Committee had taken into account relevant representations from Parish Councils and local residents. In addition, the Licensing Sub-Committee also had regard to the statutory guidance under Section 182 of the Licencing Act 2003 and the Authority Statement of Licencing Policy.

 

After discussion with the Applicant, the Chair stated that the final decision of the Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee was to grant the licence with the following amendments:

  • The Premises Licence is granted for one year.
  • Late Night Refreshments as sought.
  • Provision of Plays and Performance of Dance as requested but without amplified music between the hours of 02:00-11:00.

Live music and Recorded music had the reduced hours: -

Thursday        -           Friday

14:00              -           02:00

Friday             -           Saturday

10:00              -           02:00

Saturday         -           Sunday

10:00              -           02:00

Sunday

10:00 – 23:00

Films, and anything of a similar description to Regulated Entertainment had the reduced hours: -

Thursday        -           Friday

10:00              -           02:00

Friday             -           Saturday

11:00              -           02:00

Saturday         -           Sunday

11:00              -           02:00

Sunday           -          Monday

11:00               –          02:00

Monday

11:00 – 16:00

Retail of Alcohol: -

Thursday        –          Friday

14:00              -           02:00

Friday             -           Saturday

11:00              -           02:00

Saturday         -           Sunday

11:00              -           02:00

Sunday

11:00 – 23:00

 

RESOLVED: To grant the application with the above amendments.

 

 

The Meeting commenced at 2.00 pm and closed at 8.00 pm

 

 

 

Supporting documents:

 

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