THURROCK Council has refused permission for a music event set to take place on the Billet Playing Fields in Stanford-le-Hope.

Thurrock Nub News previewed tonight's (Thursday, 11 August) meeting in a report when the concerns of ward councillors and residents were highlighted.

At a meeting of the council's licencing committee this evening, ward councillor Shane Hebb led the opposition to the application for a licence and even though police and the council's own officers had reched agreement with the event organbisers over many issues, the application was rejected.

During the meeting Cllrs Gary Collins, ben Maney and Tony Fish - who formed the sub-committee, heard from the organisers who said they were willing to meet all the conditions laid down by the council and organisations including the police. They included alcohol sales, car parking, litter clearance, noise and event security.

No significant opposition to the event was raised by officials representing the police and council.

Cllr Collins asked how the event was going to kept secure as he had viusited the site and there was no fencing. He was told a secure fence would be erected for the event when it happened. Cllr Ben Maney asked how many people would attend and he was told that tickets sales would all be in advance and capped at 2,500. No tickets would be sold on the day.

Representatives of organisers Red Room Records at the meeting.

A brief statement at the end of the the sub-committee meeting, read by an officer, said: "The sub committee has considered all the arguments.

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"While the sub committee listened very carefully to the submissions of the applicant and were sympathetic to the application, sub committee remain concerned that the event egress of 2,500 people, albeit staggered, would have to egress through a predomninantly residential area.

"The numbers suggested will, in the opinion of sub committee, cause public nuisance and for that reason the application is reluctantly refused."

Earlier Cllr Hebb had told the meeting: "It's a nice idea, it couldn't be in a worse location if it tried, for all the reasons I have articulated."

The meeting and the arguments put forward can be viewed via this link. Click the 'view the webcast' button.