Police against plans for 3,000-capacity event site

Police and councillors have opposed plans for an outdoor events venue with a capacity of up to 3,000 people on a six-acre site due to safety concerns.

The applicants, SME Environmental Holdings Ltd, have requested a premises licence from Rotherham Council to cover live and recorded music, an outdoor cinema, plays, corporate events, late-night refreshment and alcohol sales.

Events would take place between May and September on up to 16 occasions per year on the site off Bassingthorpe Lane in Greasbrough.

The wider site would also be used for camping, glamping, football and padel, the application said.

There would also be parking for 200 cars, plus a single entrance and exit wide enough for emergency vehicles.

The site would be used for community, sporting and cultural events, the application said, and the venue could become a "regional events hub" supporting local artists, businesses and communities.

Risk assessments, event management plans, stewarding, traffic controls, noise monitoring and Challenge 25 checks would be in place.

But according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) South Yorkshire Police has urged the council's licensing board to refuse the application, and has objected on the grounds of public safety and "prevention of public nuisance".

The force said the access point on Bassingthorpe Lane was too narrow and unlit, there was a lack of pavements, and the site was close to the Victrex chemical facility which is subject to emergency planning controls.

"The application anticipates attendance of several thousand people, directing patrons, many of whom may have consumed alcohol, onto such a road presents a significant risk of accidents, injury, and harm," it said.

Ward councillors Linda Beresford and Rob Elliot have also opposed the application, saying residents fear noise, traffic, parking problems and safety risks if large crowds leave the site late at night.

And Rotherham Council has received public comments from 25 people citing concerns for horses, livestock, crop fire risks, emergency vehicle access and the impact of music carrying across open fields.

One resident supporting the application said it could provide a "fantastic opportunity" for local summer events and family days out.

In response, the applicant said many of the objections related to the adopted highway, maintained by the council and outside their control, and said any risks could be managed through "proportionate licence conditions".

Plans for the site are due to be discussed by Rotherham Council's licensing sub-committee on Tuesday.

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