Belfast Council and Féile an Phobail festival organisers have made moves to “limit destruction on the local community” in the Falls later this summer.
Those running the West Belfast festival, together with the council, have agreed to limit the number of events and place strict conditions on those nights where entertainment runs after 11pm, following a series of complaints from locals after last year’s festival.
However, a council report states that one of its own departments have commented: “For this year’s festival, in addition to the diversionary event, there are three consecutive nights of music proposed to run to 1.00am, the cumulative impact of which may result in community annoyance.”
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At the council’s recent Licensing Committee meeting, elected members granted a request from the organisers of Féile to permit entertainment planned to run beyond 11.00 pm on up to four occasions, between Saturday August 6 and Sunday August 14. The Féile, billed as 'Ireland’s Biggest Community Arts Festival', has been running for 30 years in West Belfast.
A seven day annual outdoor entertainments licence and a seven day annual indoor licence for a marquee had already been granted for Falls Park. The licence covered Monday to Sunday from 11.30am to 11.00pm.
Councillors granted the late licence until 1am for four events at this year’s festival - for the Féile Diversionary Event dance concert on August 8; for Imelda May and Damien Dempsey on August 12; for the Féile 80’s Night on August 13 and for Féile finalé on August 14.
However the permission came with a list of conditions, following complaints from locals over last year’s festival, when the council’s Environmental Protection Unit received a total of 13 noise complaints. The majority of these related to the volume of music and the finishing time of the dance event on August 8th 2021.
A council officer told the committee: “The festival has been running for some time now. It did run for more nights but in recent years the event organisers have cut that back to three or four nights, to try and limit the destruction on the local community.
“We have contacted the police in relation to these extended hours, but we haven’t received a response as of yet. If you are minded to approve the extended hours, it is suggested this would be subject to a satisfactory response from the PSNI.”
The council report states: “The complaints mentioned were brought to the attention of the event organisers by this service following the conclusion of the festival and will be highlighted to them and their acoustic consultant in preparation for this year’s festival.
“No formal action was undertaken by EPU in respect of the noise complaints received. The noise mitigation strategy must demonstrate that noise from the event will not cause unreasonable disturbance to commercial and residential premises.
“The event organisers will be reminded of the standard licence condition by BC licensing officers that receipt of significant complaints may lead to further late nights being curtailed. The organisers will also be required to produce a suitable residents pre-notification letter containing a nominated event organiser contact that residents may refer concerns or make complaints to.
“The extent of the letter’s distribution, which will take place prior to the event, will be agreed with the event organiser by this service in consultation with EPU officers."
It adds: “Should an application to provide entertainment beyond 11.00pm be granted and the council then receives a significant number of complaints regarding noise or the complaint is of such significant impact, authority is granted to the Director of Planning and Building Control, in consultation with the City Solicitor, to reduce the finishing time for any subsequent nights of the event. In which case the promoter will be required to make contingency arrangements.”
The conditions mean the council gets to decide the number of people attending each individual concert, based on the organisers proposals. From now on all requests for entertainment after 11pm will need to be done three months in advance.
An outdoor boxing match and MMA contest have also been scheduled as part of the festival on Saturday August 6 and Thursday August 11 respectively. These activities do not require to be licensed as they fall outside the definition of outdoor entertainment.
The council’s People and Communities Committee earlier this month agreed the use of the park for these events, subject to satisfactory terms being agreed, including the completion of an event management plan and relevant consultation. The decision will be subject to ratification by the full council next month.
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