Police raise objections to city music event

Tim Page
BBC News, West Midlands
Google A bar on a street corner, painted in yellow and black with branding on the windows and doors reading "North Street".Google
North Street Social said the event would be a "small-scale, ticketed street social experience"

Police have raised objections to a planned music event in Wolverhampton city centre.

The owner of North Street Social, Johnny Jones, has applied for permission for an open-air DJ event on 26 July in the area around his bar.

In an application to City of Wolverhampton Council, he said the event would have a "carefully managed audience cap", and attendees would be subject to bag and ID checks.

West Midlands Police have called for tougher security restrictions.

The application for a Temporary Event Notice is for alcohol sales and music outside the bar's existing indoor licence area, taking in the neighbouring cul-de-sac Blossom's Fold.

It said the day, Freakz Street Social, would be a "vibrant, community-led music event curated by the team at North Street Social".

The application added that the event would be "rooted in Wolverhampton's rich cultural scene", and represent a "coming together of alternative music, street culture, and local talent".

The plan was due to be discussed by a council licensing committee on Thursday, but the meeting has been cancelled.

City of Wolverhampton Council has been contacted for an update on the application.

'Unreasonable financial burden'

In a formal objection to the plan, West Midlands Police said the proposed security checks were inadequate, arguing for "thorough body and bag searches" for "each and every person" attending the event.

It also said hip-height crowd barriers would not stop unauthorised people getting in, nor objects being passed over the fence.

The initially proposed audience cap of 300, described by police as "vast" for the area, was reduced to 180 after mediation with environmental health officers who then dropped their own objection.

The organisers, represented by agents The Licensing Guys, said they would apply for a formal road closure if the event was given the go-ahead, and the event would be subject to this being approved.

They queried a request by police to complete this before a licensing hearing, as the cost of £750 was an "unreasonable financial burden" in advance of a licence being granted.

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