“Creamfields festival caused ‘immense’ disruption”

Cllr Sharon Harris

DISRUPTION to people living near the Creamfields festival site was “immense” this year, according to a local councillor.
There were complaints about noise levels – and an increase in the number of incidents of people trespassing in residents’ back garden trying to gain access to the event.
Now Cllr Sharon Harris, chairman of Appleton Parish Council and a member of Walton Parish Council is urging people to contact their local councillors if they have complaints or issues so they can be discussed at a de-briefing meeting with the event organisers, Cream.
Cllr Harris said: “Much to my surprise, Cream say that the number of noise complaints were down on previous year.  This may be because residents go away to escape it, or perhaps, people are just resigned to it now. It is, however, really helpful If complaints are logged with Cream as this informs the de-briefing meetings that happen with local parish councils.”
The meetings are held about six weeks before and six weeks after the festival in an attempt to mitigate the inconvenience to residents.
“If you have any complaints or issues you would like to be discussed at the next de-briefing meeting, please contact your parish councillor or your borough councillor,” Cllr Harris said.
“I have long campaigned against this event which was originally supposed to be a one night event and which is now a four night, camping event.  The disruption to the local area and to residents is immense and this year residents have told me that there appears to have been a greater number of festival goers trying to gain access to the event through people’s back gardens.  This is not what we want for our residents.
“There have been a number complaints about the noise this year.  Noise levels are monitored, however, in my experience the sound nearly always manages to be within the accepted limits even though it certainly doesn’t feel like it should be.
“I have had reports of sound levels exceeding the permitted levels.  Every year the impact on different local areas is different.    Sound levels are dependent on the direction the stages are facing, which can change from year to year, the wind direction and the cloud cover.
“The opportunity to have any real influence on the event  was 10 years ago when the original licensing applications were submitted to Halton Borough Council.
“Initially this was supposed to be a one night event and unfortunately unheeded warnings that this would become a four night, camping event have been realised. The people who are most affected by the event live in Warrington but the borough council has no influence it can bring to bear as the licence was granted by Halton Borough Council.”
A total of 51 festival goers were arrested during the festival – mainly for drug offences but also for assault, theft and other offences.
There were a further 68 festival goers dealt with onsite by voluntary attendance interview and the organisers processed 199 people through their Eviction Centre and 140 were evicted from the event for unacceptable behaviour.
Numerous complaints about noise levels came from people as far away away as Weaverham, Lymm, High Legh, Appleton and Thelwall, many claiming the noise this year had been worse than in previous years.

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from Warrington Worldwide https://www.warrington-worldwide.co.uk/2018/08/31/creamfields-festival-caused-immense-disruption/
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