Licensing Panel Approves Junction 2 Festival Application

Go ahead given for Boston Manor Park event despite residents' objections

A previous Junction2 Festival under the M4

December 16, 2022

A meeting of the Hounslow Council Licensing Panel has approved a licence application by UTB Events Ltd to hold a major electronic music festival in Boston Manor Park.

Councillors decided on 6 December to allow the event, which could be attended by nearly 15,000 people, to go ahead with permission to sell alcohol up to 10.15pm provided tickets were not sold to under 18s.

The festival now has a licence that covers for three days on two weekends between May and October with the council having the final say when the festival is held. An event day may only take place on a Monday if that day is a Bank Holiday.

It is currently the intention of the organisers to hold one weekend event on 21 and 22 July 2023, with this being a revised date due to re-meadowing works taking place at Boston Manor Park.

Adherence to an agreed Noise Management Plan is a condition of the licence.

During the consultation process eleven representations were received, ten from local residents and one from the Council’s Community Enforcement and Regulatory Services Team with the latter withdrawing its objection following the agreement over a Noise Management Plan.

Residents were objecting on the grounds of noise, public nuisance and possible disorder based on their experiences when the festival was held previously. They raised various issues including noise both from the event and attendees, litter, anti-social behaviour, reports of drug usage and drug dealing, trespassing by people attempting to get into the event in previous years, damage to property, the use of toilet facilities on the street and the increased number of people sought to be allowed in for the event.

None of the objectors attended the panel and the event organiser was represented by its Solicitor. It was stated that the applicant had contacted all of the objectors to offer reassurance and that any conditions attached to the licence should be proportionate. The Panel was told that the Applicant had put on many different events over the years across the country and in different types of places and that the Applicant was a fit and proper licensee.

Regarding the loss of amenity in the park, it was stated that the festival would take up to 70% of the park and would take about 11 days to put up and 5 days to remove, subject to the weather.

The Panel also enquired about how any noise complaint telephone number for residents would operate, and were informed that the Applicant would have one team member dedicated to dealing with complaints and if assistance was needed they could divert another team member to help.

The Panel considered the proposed conditions went a long way to satisfying the licensing objectives and addressed the issues raised by the objectors and the concerns of the Panel.