April 24 Combined - Flipbook - Page 5
News Hayling Herald
No to festival
PLANS for a three-day kitesurfing
festival for 5,000 people on the seafront have been scuppered after an
appeal by more than 30 residents
who feared the impact it could
have on the community.
Security and Event Solutions
wanted to hold the Shoreline Festival
in Chichester Avenue car park – less
than 20m from people’s homes and
with the railway running straight
though the site.
The Licensing Sub-Committee of
the council heard from objectors
who feared the noise, mess and
potential anti-social behaviour from
festival-goers would make their lives
a misery over the weekend of September 13th to 15th.
Despite the committee accepting
the organisation behind the festival
had held successful events elsewhere
on the Island, it found the risks in
this area were unacceptable.
In a statement, the council said:
‘The area subject to this application
had inherent risks to public nuisance
and public safety that could not be
mitigated by conditions.
‘The Sub-Committee were concerned that up to 4,999 people would
be entering the site, that the licensable area was very close to nearby
houses (in some cases 15-30 metres),
and the fact that the Hayling Light
Railway runs through the site, as
well as a number of beach huts.
‘The proximity of the site to nearby
houses poses a risk that music from
the stage and DJs until the end of
the proposed hours would cause a
nuisance to nearby residents at unreasonable hours.
‘The Sub-Committee considered
that no restriction on decibel level
or time would mitigate the nuisance
caused to residents.
‘The Sub-Committee were concerned that there was only a single
entry point to and from the site,
meaning that those who attended
the festival would cause a nuisance
to residents as they came and left the
site.
‘The number of potential attendees
meant that there could be a significant amount of noise created, particularly when the festival ended, and
this would cause a nuisance to those
who lived across the road from the
site in particular.
‘The Sub-Committee noted that
the location of the site was in very
close proximity to some of the
residents, and felt that no amount of
mitigation would resolve the level of
nuisance caused to those residents.’
The organisers said they had hoped
to put Hayling ‘back at the hub of
the outdoor activity and watersports
world’ and Chichester Avenue had
not been their first choice and was in
fact suggested by the council.
They said they had preferred the
Royal car park which sits between
the fair and West Beach but they accept the ruling and are now looking
at different venues.
Citizen of the Year
Award is well-deserved
AN inspirational boxing coach has
been showered with praise following
his naming as Havant Citizen of the
Year.
Know White is a founding member of Heart of Hayling Boxing
Academy which has changed the
lives of hundreds of young people. It has also had a huge impact
on the adults who have trained to
volunteer at the academy since it
launched in 2019.
Knox was presented with the
award at a ceremony at Havant Borough Council last month, in recognition of his services to the young
people of Havant Borough.
The Mayor of Havant Borough
Council, Councillor Rosy Raines,
pictured with Knox, said: ‘I was
delighted to present Knox with
the prestigious Havant Honorary
Citizen Award to celebrate the
amazing contribution he has made
to the local community. Through his
hard work and dedication, Knox has
lifted the spirits of both the young
and adults across the borough and
helped them to stay active.’
5