SPC responds to New Premises Licence Application at Snake Meadows, Bath Road – Saturdays 10:30-23:00 -License for Performance of Live Music (Outdoors), Recorded Music (Outdoors) and Sale of Alcohol as ‘expected to be no more than 2,000 people per event.’
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Update: March 2025
Following the submission of SPC’s objection comment, SPC was informed by B&NES Council’s licensing team that a Licensing Sub-Committee hearing would take place in early March at the Guildhall to discuss the Licence. Cllr Phil Harding attended to represent SPC.
At an amicable meeting, Cllr Harding primarily raised SPC’s safety concerns for the public, and summarised points made in SPC’s objection response (below).
Cllr Harding shared following the hearing that that the applicants had gone to great lengths to make the event safer, and during the hearing had also made a few concessions.
Information shared included that noise levels (from the music) would be monitored by a sound engineer, that entry will be by advanced ticket sales only, and that there were also age restrictions on ticket purchasing and attendance (under 16s must be accompanied by an adult). There would also be the use of a barrier along the centre of the A4 to prevent right-hand turning for vehicles when leaving the site or turning right into the site when arriving from Corston/Bath.
The decision from the B&NES Council Licensing Sub-Committee was that a license would be issued for one live music with alcohol sales (10.30am – 22.40pm) event in any calendar year (not two or more as in the application form) that would require a licence. Events not involving live music or alcohol sales would not require a license. The licenced annual events would be subject to pre-agreement on the detail with the B&NES Council Events Management Team to ensure safety arrangements, traffic management etc. are in order. A condition of the license is that that under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
This outcome was viewed a good result, and SPC welcomed information that the applicants had gone on to develop their management plans with the police and others.
It was noted that if issues do arise at the first event (July 2025) e.g. that cause significant issues for Saltford residents, then the event organisers and Events Management team at B&NES Council could be directly informed by residents and these issues could then be addressed for future events. The event organisers would display a phone number for residents at the entrance point(s) to the site if they wished to raise any concerns or issues.
For a copy of the report from the Licensing sub-committee hearing for this case (25/00176/LAPRE – Snake Meadows, Saltford), please contact the B&NES Council Licensing Team at licensing@bathnes.gov.uk or write to: Licensing Team, Public Protection & Health Improvement, Lewis House, Manvers Street, Bath BA1 1JG.
Please note that B&NES Council, not Saltford Parish Council, is the Licensing Authority, and can only respond to Licensing consultations (as can residents) as demonstrated by SPC’s response and a Councillor’s attendance at the hearing. Decisions are made by B&NES Council as the responsible authority.
As such any concerns or complaints need to be directed to event organisers and/or B&NES Council’s Licensing Team and/or B&NES Council’s Events Team as relevant (and not Saltford Parish Council).
Original article:
At its February meeting, Saltford Parish Council responded to the B&NES Council Licensing consultation 25/00176/LAPRE for a new premises license at Snake Meadows, Bath Road, Saltford BS31 3JS. SPC responded to the information on the Licensing Portal, which at the time of its meeting included two documents (‘Application’ and ‘Plan’).
The application is available to view via the B&NES Council Licencing portal, as located by selecting the ‘Advanced search’ tab, and ‘Ward: Saltford’. Comments can be submitted from this page until 17 February.
It was resolved that Saltford Parish Council, in responding to the B&NES Council Licensing consultation for a New Premises Licence at ‘Snake Meadows, Bath Road, Saltford BS31 3JS – Licensing Application Reference: 25/00176/LAPRE’, would submit an OBJECT response via the B&NES Council Licencing portal.
The Council resolved its OBJECT response based on information available on the Licensing Portal at the time of the meeting (application form and site plan as the only two documents available) for a License application for the following activities:
• Performance of Live Music (Outdoors) Saturday, 10:30 to 23:00
• Performance of Recorded Music (Outdoors) Saturday, 10:30 to 23:00
• Sale of Alcohol Saturday, 10:30 to 23:00
SPC noted that attendance at any events on Saturdays at the location was described in the application form as ‘expected to be no more than 2,000 people per event’ and also ‘intended to host an annual festival on two separate occasions per year’ as statements of intention and not as an absolute. The Council recognised the Licence sought was for outdoor performances of live music, recorded music and alcohol sales from 10:30am to 11pm every Saturday of the year, and agreed to resolve its response based on the Licence that had been applied for.
The Council also noted that although a Traffic Management Plan, Noise Management Plan, etc. might have been in development, no documents had been made available to view by the Parish Council on such matters nor made available on the Licensing portal prior to Council resolving its response.
Screengrab from the B&NES Council Licensing Portal for 25/00176/LAPRE
The Council resolved to OBJECT for the following reasons and concerns:
• Impact on traffic flow on the A4 Bath Road: Concerns that the single entrance/exit for the site was insufficient to handle the expected volume of both vehicles and pedestrians throughout any event, which would likely result in severe traffic delays, long tailbacks, etc.; and that this would also impede quick access for emergency vehicles, both along the A4 and within the immediate vicinity of Saltford including to Snake Meadows.
• Dangerous access to/from the site from the A4 by pedestrians or vehicles: Concern that a high volume of people or vehicles suddenly entering or exiting the gateway and/or onto a narrow pedestrian path alongside a major road like the A4 could lead to accidents; Concern that the capacity to safely evacuate such a large number of people though the main narrow, single exit may not accommodate a quick and efficient evacuation; Concern due to the proximity of the site’s main gate directly to the A4 (with only a narrow pedestrian path) posed a significant danger for pedestrians and vehicle traffic, especially if emergency evacuation was required; Concern that emergency response vehicles would struggle to access the site due to pedestrian and vehicle congestion at the main entrance/exit, particularly if the site’s only access point was blocked by a large crowd and/or vehicles, and that this would especially hinder the ability to provide immediate assistance during critical situations (e.g. fire, major incident etc.).
• Dangerous and hazardous parking on A4 Bath Road and Saltford’s residential roads: Concern as parking capacity was not stated on the site plan (just locations for vehicle parking) that parking capacity looked likely to be inadequate for the nature and size of events planned e.g. music festival with c.2000 attendees; Concerns that existing parking infrastructure in the village was not sufficient to handle such numbers should there not be appropriate on-site parking capacity; Concerns that to permit a permanent Licence for up to 52 events per annum for c.2000 people without on-site parking capacity for all vehicles would exacerbate dangerous parking in the village at or close to areas with known hazardous parking issues (as both the Police and B&NES Parking Enforcement were aware of); Concern that dangerous or hazardous parking would be more likely due to the long wait times to access the site from the A4 Bath Road, which would result in drivers looking to find alternative parking options due to the delays and access issues that the site entrance presented; Concern that parking on the A4 and in residential roads would result in access issues and gridlock, as seen annually when high numbers of vehicles park in Saltford, particularly during the summer months, giving rise to serious safety implications.
• Negative impact on the local community: Concerns about noise disturbance, especially in a rural village setting like Saltford, due to the proposed license being for 12.5 hours of outdoor live music every Saturday, 12.5 hours of recorded music every Saturday, and the sale of alcohol for 12.5 hours every Saturday; Concerns that the level of noise disruption to residents would be excessive despite the development of any Noise Management Plan, due to the duration and frequency of events for which the licence has been sought e.g. the License would permit an outdoor event with music to occur every Saturday, 52 weeks a year – this could be viewed as the creation of an ongoing disturbance for residents, and that this regularity could make it difficult for residents impacted to find peace or to engage in daily activities; Concerns about post-event disruption, with the potential of c.2000+ people leaving the site after 11 p.m., both for residents near Snake Meadows and those on nearby residential roads where event attendees have parked and who may be disturbed; Concern about how the event could affect other local businesses (access to premises, noise disturbance etc.). Concerns that if large crowds converged on the area, there could be issues with congestion, safety, and the general atmosphere of the village.
• Increase in Anti-social behaviour: Concern that alcohol sales for extended hours at large events may contribute to increased anti-social behaviour impacting the local community, including that the license would permit any outdoor live and recorded music event with alcohol sales, not just ‘family friendly’ events, with the associated risk of attracting disruptive behaviour from individuals who may not adhere to community values, particularly with alcohol sales available throughout the day and continuing late into the evening; Concern about pressure on local resources and that the current infrastructure of Saltford was not equipped to handle the increased number of visitors likely to be drawn to such events, and that this could result in further strain on public services, including: police presence, waste management, traffic control, parking enforcement etc., which would increase challenges the village already faced particularly in the summer months; Concerns that such a licence if permitted could significantly alter the character of Saltford on Saturdays due to anti-social behaviour, potentially causing regular and long-term disruption for residents and local businesses.
SPC advises alternative approach by Event Organisers
The Council viewed that if event organisers intended to hold one or two family-friendly events as claimed on the application form, it could be worth exploring alternative strategies and approaches to achieve this.
These could include reviewing transport to the site for events, reducing numbers, limiting alcohol sales, implementing earlier closing times, and consideration of other methods to minimise the risk of the list of concerns expressed above.
The Council viewed that such Licensing permissions, if sought, could be done so by event organisers on an event-by-event basis (e.g. Temporary Event Notices or similar as appropriate) rather than Snake Meadows looking to gain permission for a blanket permanent Licence which would allow large scale events to occur at the Snake Meadows site on any Saturday of the year as applied for, e.g. c.2000 people at Performance of Live Music (Outdoors), Performance of Recorded Music (Outdoors) and Sale of Alcohol (between 10:30 and 23.00 each Saturday).
The Council viewed that a ‘per event’ licence rather than a permanent site licence would allow, should concerns if they arise at e.g. the first event, these issues to be fully addressed by the event organisers prior to another licence at the site being applied for to the Licensing Authority.
It was also agreed that the B&NES Council’s Licencing Team should proactively engage with the Parish Council and B&NES Ward Councillors to inform both the Council and Ward Councillors of any Licensing application for large-scale events in Saltford, and also to inform them of any future licences applied for at the Snake Meadows site in consideration of the concerns raised with regards to application ref. no. 25/00176/LAPRE.