Concert clash fear near leisure centre (From Gazette)

Concert clash fear near leisure centre

8:20pm Tuesday 18th September 2012 in News By Andrea Collitt

Councillor Dave Harris joins Arena director Bianca Catten and operations boss Clive Davies to measure the distance between the Arena and the venue for a music event

LEISURE centre bosses fear a dance music event in a car park 30ft away will ruin the ballet lessons and birthday parties they are hosting.

Hundreds of house music aficionados will descend on a car park in Circular Road East, Colchester for the FreQKlash event on Saturday, October 6.

DJs are due to play to crowds between noon and 8pm.

Colchester Council has given organisers a temporary licence to hold the event on the car park, owned by PDQ Cars. Essex Police have not objected.

A host of events are booked at the adjacent Arena Leisure Centre.

Russell Watterson, of the Arena, said: “There are children as young as four doing ballet, a seventh birthday party going and a hockey match.”

“I think it is disgusting that councillors can’t veto it. I can’t believe the council didn’t check something wasn’t happening. It is quite upsetting.”

Bianca Catten, a director at the Arena, added: “We have got to notify the people we have got coming in.

“I just think we have been really badly let down by the licensing authority.”

As many as 499 revellers can attend the house music event.

FreQKlash has already taken place twice this year, but on Sundays.

Dave Harris, Berechurch ward councillor, said: “They have had this event in the car park and it has been very well organised.

“It has been noisy but we tolerated it.

“Unfortunately, now they have moved it to a Saturday.

“I tried to put an objection in but environmental health and Essex Police have rubber-stamped it.”

A Facebook page says tickets cost £15 for the event, which will feature DJs Alex Arnout and Burnski.

An after party will be held at Silk Road in St Botolph’s Street, Colchester from 8pm.

No one from PDQ Cars was available to comment. The organisers of FreQKlash were contacted but did not respond.

A Colchester Council spokesman said the council must permit an event under a temporary licence unless there is an objection from the police or environmental control.

In these cases the matter would be determined by the council’s licensing committee.

She added: “All statutory requirements of service have been met in relation to this temporary events notice and no objection notices were received. “Therefore there is no legal power for the licensing authority to intervene to prevent the event from taking place.”