Belfast City Council has vowed to introduce new social clauses for big events in the city - after a councillor criticised Belsonic and its effect on local residents.
At the monthly meeting of the full council (Monday May 9), elected representatives agreed to create a new council policy concerning contracts with events companies for events on city-owned land - one that would involve new obligations regarding local communities, safety for women and accessibility for those with disability.
The initiative resulted from an original proposal from Alliance Councillor Ross McMullan on creating new accessibility standards for events on council owned land.
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He accepted amendments to his proposal from fellow Alliance Councillor Sian Mulholland regarding new safety measures at events for women, and from SDLP Councillor Donal Lyons, who propounded a new social clause in the contracts for all large events.
The proposals came during an item confirming full council support for three big events to be held in council parks this year - Belsonic at Ormeau Park from June 13 to 26, a total of nine live events; Belfast Mela at Botanic Gardens on August 28; and Planet Love Festival at Boucher Road Playing Fields on September 10.
Councillors also gave multiple year approval for Belsonic to use Ormeau Park up to and including 2024, for up to a maximum of ten concerts each year, and for the council to continue to provide financial support of £20,000 to Belfast Mela per year.
UUP Councillor John Kyle told the chamber that Belsonic was “hugely disruptive to the residents of the Lower Ravenhill Road.” He added: “Many of those attending are young teenagers, many arrive inebriated, more end up inebriated by the end of it.
“Some use gardens as toilets, are abusive to residents, and the whole area is littered after the event. It has been a real problem for the community in the Lower Ravenhill Road, and it is compounded by the fact that Belsonic have not engaged with the local community, despite a number of requests.
“To date this year there has been no communication from Belsonic to the local community, which is really poor practice. I know our officers engage with Belsonic prior to these events, and I want them to draw Belson’s attention to their duty to engage. There may not be a legal obligation, but there certainly is a moral and civic obligation.”
He said: “They need to be considerate to the residents who live in their homes round there for the fortnight Belsonic events take place, who really find it extremely disruptive, and at times abusive and intimidating.
“There is also the question of vulnerable young people who are at risk of being taken advantage of by predatory individuals who frequent the area.”
Police investigated three reports of serious sexual assault during the music festival last year.
Councillor Ross McMullan told the chamber: “I continue to be concerned at the statutory requirements that commercial events in the city need to comply with - they just really cover a bare minimum, and don’t really give a truly inclusive experience for disabled people and people with mobility issues.
“And where a promoter does go above and beyond, it is really a matter of good will to achieve a better standard. We as a council should be putting much more conditionality, and providing much more support, when we grant requests, to ensure that when someone is using our parks and spaces, they are doing so inclusively.
“A council events policy that can guarantee these events inclusivity remains distinctly absent, and that is a concern when we are granting permission, especially years in advance. It is a missing policy gap.”
Councillor Donal Lyons said: “The problem is that we tend to only discuss permissions for individual events rather than our council’s approach to events in our parks.
“And so the difficulties we’re facing in Ormeau Park with Belsonic shouldn’t just be considered in isolation, they are not just problems that should focus on Belsonic, similar problems face any outdoor events in our parks on that scale.”
He proposed that social clauses be introduced in the contracts with all events organisers and promoters “that these events recognise when you bring 10 and 15 thousand people together there is a duty of care.”
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