On Tuesday 2 July Rock the Park (Wrexham) Ltd were fined £10,000 for breaching noise limits at their Rock the Park Festival in August 2023. With added costs and victim surcharge the total payable is £16, 381.00. The company did not attend, was not represented and was convicted in its absence.
An investigation was launched following the 2023 event where the Council’s Environment Health Officers recorded sound levels equivalent to being twice as loud as the limit permitted in the licence for the German techno band Scooter who were the final act on Friday night of the weekend long event.
The sound limits were imposed by the Council’s licensing committee when granting a licence for the event out of concern for nearby residents who had been adversely affected by previous events and were agreed by the organisers in order to secure the licence.
Cllr Hugh Jones, Lead Member for Public Protection and Planning said, “It is disappointing to see that the event organisers were unable to control disturbance caused to local residents on the Friday night by excessively loud music despite the specific condition set in advance by the Council’s Licensing Committee. Such conditions are carefully considered and would only have been imposed with good reason, primarily to protect those living close to the event.
“It is pleasing to note that this is a rare case as most event organisers take their responsibilities seriously and run events in a professional manner without causing a nuisance. The Council is supportive of events that are a significant benefit to the community and help to promote Wrexham as a great place to go for a diverse range of cultural attractions. I hope that this isolated case demonstrates that the Council will not hesitate to take action where necessary.”
From time to time events such as this don’t always meet the expectations of consumers and sometimes are cancelled or postponed leaving ticket holders wondering what their rights are.
If you are in that situation you can get advice from Citizens Advice Consumer Services who provide a free consumer advice service. You can ring them on 0808 223 1133 (0808 223 1144 for Welsh language service) or visit their website.
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