Vale festival given approval to play music until 5am

The first Noisily Festival took place in Barkestone Wood in July 2023, causing unhappiness among residents because of the noise and disruption the event caused.

This led to the Vale Parishes Group submitting a licensing review application to the borough council citing significant community concern and breaches of licence at the first festival.

Councillors recognised the misgivings of residents at that hearing in March and imposed five strict conditions on the festival’s licence, including an order to stop the music at midnight.

Noisily Festival appealed and during the wait for the case to be heard, the second event went ahead this summer.

The council say ‘far fewer complaints about noise’ were made following this year’s festival and so it agreed to a compromise where the organisers would observe four of the five conditions, except the one which would require them not to play amplified music after midnight.

The agreement avoided a potentially costly appeal hearing for the council but it still needs to approved by the court.

The decision to allow music to be played well into the early hours of the morning has angered the Vale Parishes Group, which had prepared detailed information outlining community concerns for the appeal hearing.

A spokesperson for the group told the Melton Times: “Melton Borough Council have ignored and disregarded the communities in the Vale of Belvoir.

"They are happy to trade from their rural communities, but will not seek to support, engage or even communicate with them.

"We feel totally let down and fear that this will set a dangerous precedent for all night events to apply to operate around the clock.”

Explaining their decision to reach a compromise with the Noisily Festival outside court, a borough council spokesperson told the Melton Times: "As required by licensing law, the Council has worked with the organisers of Noisily Festival to ensure this year’s event complied with the existing licence conditions.

"Far fewer complaints about noise were received in relation to this year’s event, in part due to the organiser working within the additional conditions imposed by the Council in March.

“As a result of the progress made at this year’s event the Council and the organisers have reached an agreement in principle, and those who appeared at the licensing hearing were recently advised this was subject to the Court’s approval.

"The Court has not yet approved that agreement, and it will not take effect unless or until the Court does so.

"For that reason, it is not appropriate to comment further on matters which have not yet been concluded by the Court.”

Next year’s Noisily Festival will take place from June 10 to 13 and organisers will have to adhere to the four conditions, which refer to sound levels and a requirement to reduce the noise if environmental health officers find it is above the level allowed.

The Vale Group of Parishes must also be consulted in relation to noise monitoring, security, and highways matters at least six weeks before the event.