Three-day food and music festival given permission to use Chichester’s Westgate Fields

The three-day Pub in the Park event had been planned for Oaklands Park in May but was called off because of the coronavirus lockdown.

The festival was rescheduled for August.

Organisers Brand Events had been granted a license to sell alcohol and play live or recorded music in the park.

Not wanting to risk a clash with any future opening of Chichester Festival Theatre, which is based there, they decided on a second option – Westgate Fields, in front of Chichester College.

The company applied to the district council for a permanent licence, which would allow other three-day events to be held at the site once a year.

A report to a meeting of the alcohol and entertainment licensing sub-committee said ten people had objected to the application.

One said: “I am of the opinion that such an event will seriously interfere with our right to a peaceful life. Not to mention the likely damage and possible interference with property.”

Another added: “Where there is alcohol for sale there is always a risk of disorder.”

Neil Levene, of Brand Events, told the meeting that, in normal circumstances, he would expect between 3,000 and 3,500 people to attend each session.

Under social distancing rules, plan B was for 1,500 people, with fewer attractions and a lower ticket price.

Mr Levene said the priority was to ‘protect and respect’ the venue.

He added: “If an event is popular – which we hope it will be – we obviously want to be able to come back.

“So our objective is to ensure that we always do everything we can to protect the venue, look after the stakeholders and make sure the event has as little impact as possible, yet also providing a nice experience for those who buy tickets.”

Brand Events has been running Pub in the Park for four years and Chichester would be their 14th such event.

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