Organisers have been told “we don’t want your events here” as proposals for entertainment for up to 5,000 people in the Baltic Triangle next month move closer. A bid has been lodged with Liverpool City Council for permission to host no more than two events a year in the popular area of town.
Application details
The Event Company (UK) Ltd has asked the local authority for permission to stage entertainment on the public highway around the Baltic on September 12. This would allow for up to 5,000 people between St James Street from Jamaica Street to Norfolk Street encompassing Blundell Street.
However, the prospect of the as of yet unnamed event going ahead has struck notes of concern within the community. A series of objections have been made to the city council’s licensing and gambling sub-committee ahead of a hearing later this month.
Residents' concerns
This application is for a grant of a premises licence for up to two times a year to operate on a Saturday and Sunday only for 4,999 people with 25 days between different events. Some have reacted angrily to the plans, including those living around the Baltic streets.
A notice of objection came from three women living nearby. They wrote: “It is already scary enough walking through town on our own but having an extra 5,000 drunkards there will make it even more unsafe.”
They added: “When there are events held we have a lot of random people around our building causing a huge amount of rubbish everywhere, urinating in the street, loud drunken behaviour and harassment, as well as noise until the early hours of the morning. It is already disturbing enough as it is and I know a lot of residents are already planning to leave this area due to the disruptions caused on weekends. We don’t want your events here.”
Business opposition
Another objector said they had been running a business in the area for years and would oppose any such event. They wrote: “Prior events of a similar nature held in this location, including Baltic Fest, have already demonstrated the problems this type of licence would formalise and repeat.
“My business is located directly opposite the proposed event space and I have operated here for 10+ years. I am submitting this representation on the grounds of prevention of public nuisance, prevention of crime and disorder, public safety and the protection of children from harm.”
Scale of events
The number of people that could attend the event caused concern for others. A further opponent said: “The scale of this application, up to 4,999 persons on consecutive weekend days, twice a year, within a tightly bounded urban area that contains both businesses and residential flats is a recipe for repeated public nuisance.
“Previous events have already demonstrated this is not a theoretical risk. The noise, anti-social behaviour and physical mess that follow these events cause real disruption to the people who live and work here.”
Another added: “Events of this scale, involving alcohol consumption by up to 5,000 attendees over a weekend period, presents a heightened risk of alcohol-related disorder, altercations and antisocial behaviour in the surrounding streets, particularly as attendees disperse at closing time.
“Our premises and adjoining businesses have, on previous occasions of large-scale events in the vicinity, experienced increased incidents of criminal damage, theft and confrontational behaviour in the immediate area.
“We are concerned that without a robust and clearly evidenced plan for stewarding, dispersal management and police liaison, this event risks placing an unreasonable burden on local policing resources and increasing the likelihood of crime and disorder impacting neighbouring businesses, staff and the public.”
Next steps
One letter was submitted in support of the planned activities in September.
The proposals will go before the city council committee on August 13.
