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Newbury Weekly News

Thursday, November 18, 2021

NEWBURY NEWS

Beer festival vows to keep the noise down Real ale event in the balance as critics say it is ‘too large and too loud’

By NIKI HINMAN niki.hinman@newburynews.co.uk @newburytoday

was told he was not able to speak with event organisers as they were ‘too busy’. Russell Davidson said “el- evated sound levels were re- corded throughout the day” and pointed to the failure of the event’s sound technicians to monitor the levels. The committee heard that the council’s monitored levels were different to those taken on site by the organisers. Another Newbury resident, Tim Polack, spoke up for the event. “It is an ideal event and the town would be worse off if it did not take place,” he said. It was further backed by Melissa Hughes, the chief executive of Newbury BID (Business Improvement Dis- trict) and Visit Newbury, who claimed the event is “a key event which helps put New- bury on the map”. The festival, which takes place in September, is billed as the biggest one-day beer festi- val in the South of England. Now in its second decade, it is run as a community event, supporting local breweries and musicians, and raising around £100,000 for local charities. Committee members will now spend the next few days digesting the evidence before announcing a decision.

THE Newbury Real Ale Fes- tival has admitted it could have done better to control noise levels at this year’s event. In a bid to save the show, it has pledged that “if it is too loud, we will turn it down”. The one-day-a-year festival at Northcroft was defending its licence after local residents demanded a review, claiming that the event was now “too big and too loud”. “Organisers seem unable to control it,” said Andrew Wyper, who added that the event should move to a bigger venue like the Newbury Show- ground. “My children had to listen to aggressive behaviour and foul language. “My ears were ringing at the end of the day. It is now a large corporate music event. “Each year it gets louder and bigger. A quieter commu- nity event for real ales would be supported.” The organisers also prom- ised to switch the stage back to its previous location and said this, along with some technical issues associated with the stage location, had

Plans for the 350 homes in Wash Water

Homes plans submitted PLANS for 350 new homes which would fill a green gap between Newbury and Hampshire have now been submitted. It will also add a number of “new services” to the area, such as a café/convenience shop near the entrance to the site.

Housing developer Bew- ley Homes has submitted an outline planning application for 350 dwellings on Common Farm, Wash Water, at the junction of Andover Road and the A34, just over the border in Basingstoke and Deane. It has also submitted a full planning application for the first phase of the development on the east side of the site, which will include 90 homes and a public open space. The plans haven’t yet been validated by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, meaning they are not yet pub- licly available. Bewley Homes said the plans will have a number of economic and social benefits, including 140 homes classed as ‘affordable’, and 878 direct construction jobs.

However, the plans received a backlash when they were originally unveiled earlier this year. The opposition group ‘Keep Wash Water Rural’ was subse- quently set up and at its first public meeting in August, 100 members of the public at- tended to voice their concerns about the scheme. Chris Garrett, who lives on Enborne Row, just north of the site, feared his house was at greater risk of flooding as the site is on the Enborne River floodplain, and said he had grave concerns over the increased traffic pouring onto the A343. He also pointed to the lack of provision for infrastruc- ture, and said doctor’s surger- ies were already struggling to cope.

An AC/DC tribute band at this year’s Newbury Real Ale Festival

could have been resolved by a telephone call at the time.” The meeting heard that on the day of the event at North- croft Park, the council’s own environmental health officer

contributed to the noise levels which broke the allowed limit on its licence. They said the stage was moved this year due to coro- navirus restrictions. Legal representative Jon Payne gave West Berkshire Council licensing sub commit- tee ‘an unreserved apology’ for the noise, adding that it was never the intention of the event to cause a disturbance in the locality. “Communication is the sum of it all,” he said. “This matter

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It is an ideal event and the town would be worse off if it did not take place

Homes boost for Afghan families THREE Afghan families have now been given homes by West Berkshire Council. They have moved into privately rented, furnished accommodation and been given a fixed tenancy, support with school admissions, access to health care, financial aid and employment training and assistance. The families have been housed under the Government’s Afghan Locally Employed Staff (LES) Relocation Scheme. West Berkshire Council leader Lynne Doherty (Con, Speen) said: “Locally Employed Staff in Afghanistan have served our country and supported our troops, often facing and working in very dangerous conditions for both them and their family, and deserve our support to relocate to a country where they can rebuild their lives and remain safe.” They will also receive indefinite leave to remain, ensuring that they can settle permanently and continue to build their lives and future in the UK. The scheme has been put in place to protect the human rights of Afghan Locally Employed Staff who have supported British Forces deployed in Afghanistan. As part of the scheme, local authorities have been asked to support the relocation of Afghan families and West Berkshire Council pledged to take part in July.

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Mrs Doherty said the district would consider taking in more families, but that would be dependent on more accommodation becoming available.