BNP festival licences decision delayed again

Shaun Jepson | Thursday, 19 July 2007 Source: Derbyshire Evening Telegraph

A decision on whether alcohol can be sold and music played at a BNP festival has again been put on hold for a second time by councillors.

The decision was deferred last night following three hours of deliberations.

Amber Valley Borough Council's licensing committee met to decide whether to grant a drinks and entertainments licence for the Red, White and Blue event, due to be held in Denby next month.

Following lengthy discussions, councillors were unable to reach a decision and said they would make their minds up today.

But after going over the plans this morning, the authority said it would make a decision later this week.

Villagers in Denby who have campaigned against the festival fear there would be too much traffic and noise from the event.

Denby resident John Lumsden, who lives opposite the field where the event will take place, said last night that he hoped the committee would turn the application down.

He said: "I hope they have some common sense and decline the application."

RWB is to take place on the weekend of August 4 and 5 in Codnor-Denby Lane on land owned by BNP member Alan Warner.

He has previously said the festival would go ahead with or without the entertainments and drinks licence.

John Walker, the national treasurer for the BNP, told last night's meeting he expected more than 2,000 people to attend.

He said it was a family festival for members of the party only, and that anybody without party membership would not be allowed entry unless a member could vouch for them.

He also said it would be controlled by six fully-qualified security staff and stewards.

Last night, Mr Walker said not granting the drinks and entertainments licence could be more of a problem than granting one.

He said: "If the licence is granted, everyone can be contained in the fields. If the decision is turned down, you will get people leaving the site to go out and get alcohol."

Representatives from Derbyshire police said the force had no grounds to object to the licence.

The Mayor of Heanor, Councillor Paul Jones, said he was disappointed that the police had not considered that people from the festival might go out into the surrounding areas, like Heanor. He said: "I am appalled by the lack of vigour of the police force in this matter."

The meeting took place at Ripley Town Hall in the Market Place.