The Licensing Sub Committee of Cheshire East Council met to consider an application for a new premises licence. The application was for a licence to sell alcohol, play live music, and play recorded music at Land at Millington Hall Lane in Altrincham. The sub-committee was scheduled to determine what steps, if any, it considered appropriate to promote the licensing objectives¹.

Application for a New Premises Licence: Land at Millington Hall Lane, Altrincham, WA14 3RN

The Licensing Sub-Committee was scheduled to consider a contested application for a new premises licence for land at Millington Hall Lane, Altrincham.

Showbase Ltd applied for the licence for a temporary demountable marquee² sited on agricultural land at Millington Hall Lane. The application requested permission to:

• Provide live music indoors from 18:00 to 22:00 Thursday to Sunday.
• Play recorded music indoors from 10:00 to 22:00 Thursday to Saturday.
• Supply alcohol (on and off the premises) from 10:00 to 22:00 Thursday to Saturday.

The applicant described the premises as:

THE PREMISES IS A TEMPORARY DEMOUNTABLE MARQUEE TO BE USED AS SHELTER FOR SEASONAL COOKERY CLASSES AND RURALLY-BASED ACTIVITIES FOR GROUPS OF 10-30 PERSONS, WITH LICENSABLE ACTIVITIES TAKING PLACE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE TEMPORARY MARQUEE AND LIMITED OUTDOOR SEATING AREAS.

THE APPLICATION IS MADE TO PERMIT THE SUPPLY OF ALCOHOL (WHETHER THROUGH TICKET VOUCHER OR BAR SALE), OCCASIONAL AD-HOC LIVE MUSIC SESSIONS AND BACKGROUND RECORDED MUSIC.

The applicant stated that the marquee would be installed ad-hoc for a few weeks at a time and demounted when not in use. They also stated that classes would generally end at 8pm, but the application was made to 10pm to allow for breathing room in case of variation to class and close-down times due to demonstrator availability .

The council's Environmental Protection Officer recommended conditions to be added to the premises licence, if approved, to protect local residents and ensure that the licensing objective of public nuisance prevention is upheld. The applicant agreed to these conditions, which included noise control measures submitted in section 3 of the Operational Plan:

• The majority of class activity will take place within the closed marquee to help contain noise, with occasional outside activities and outside seating.
• Amplified music will be strictly noise limited to background level, monitored by the Production Manager.
• Staff will be instructed to keep noise levels down during morning setup and evening breakdown.
• Deliveries and collections will be scheduled between 10:00am and 6:00pm only.
• Any use of microphones will be limited to demonstrator communication and kept at a reasonable volume.
• Signage will be displayed at exits reminding participants to leave quietly.

The Licensing Authority received objections from five members of the public, who raised concerns including:

• Public nuisance from noise disturbance and additional intrusive lighting.
• Public safety due to increased traffic on single track country lanes with restricted passing places.
• Risk of road accidents to users of The Children's Adventure Farm Trust (CAFT) facility, as Millington Lane is a primary access point to Millington Hall.
• Risk of public disorder away from any immediate community police support.
• Potential impact on the wellbeing of households, particularly for individuals with ADHD and young children.
• Lack of meaningful sound insulation in marquees, allowing amplified music and crowd noise to travel freely.
• Antisocial behaviour often associated with venues serving alcohol and hosting live or recorded music.
• The venue is situated on a narrow single-track road, which is not designed to accommodate the level of increased traffic such events would generate.
• Conflict with the spiritual, environmental, and social character of the area, including Rostherne Church and Rostherne Mere National Nature Reserve.
• The site is designated as agricultural land, and hosting a commercial events marquee is an inappropriate use.

One resident stated that they had found no public notice displayed on the outside of the site to make residents aware of the application. They also noted discrepancies in advertised hours on Showcase Limited's website.

The Licensing Sub-Committee was requested to consider the application and any relevant representations and determine what steps, if any, it considers appropriate to promote the licensing objectives.