Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration

The report sets out a request to use St Peters Square in Stockport Town Centre for the Roughley’s Bike Show event in 2017.

The Area Committee is request to comment on whether permission should be granted for the Roughley’s Bike Show event should be held in St Peters Square town centre in 2017 and, if so, the conditions which should be applied.

Officer Contact: Graeme Vout on 0161 474 4562 or email: graeme.vout@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out a request to use St Peters Square in Stockport Town Centre for the Roughley’s Bike Show event in 2017.

In 2015 and 2016 both SKY and Stockport Plaza (both of which were adjacent to the square) had expressed concerns regarding sound levels and requested evidence from the organisers to show how they would manage and mitigate the impact of this issue. SKY had now notified both the Council and the Roughley’s Bike Show event organisers that whilst they had been supportive of the Roughley’s Bike Show and had not objected to the events in 2015 and 2016, they were unable to support another bike show in the square in future years and had confirmed that they would submit a formal objection to any application for a Premises Licence. The event organisers had notified the Council that if they were unable to hold the 2017 bike show in St Peters Square they would seek to hold it in another borough in Greater Manchester.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         St Peters Square was a public realm space designated and improved by the Council for use for public events and there was no obvious alternative location for the event which was held on one day of the year.

·         The event was used to raise funds for three charities – the Rainbow Trust, Together Trust and NABD (a charity to help bikers with disabilities). In 2015 the event had raised £8,000, a figure which the organisers were hoping would have been exceeded by the 2016 event.

·         Roughley’s Bike show was a very popular event. From a small scale event in 1999 when the event was held in Stockport Market Place, the event had attracted a greater attendance each successive year and now attracted in excess of 6,000 visitors.

·         The new Holiday Inn Express hotel at Stockport Exchange and the new Travelodge on Heaton Lane would benefit from the visitors to the event.

·         SKY should embrace the event, possibly have a stall and attract new customers rather than adopt the stance which they had.

·         Not all the staff highlighted by SKY as being affected would be working on the day in question. Members queried how the cost to SKY of closing their offices for the day of the event had been derived.

RESOLVED – (1)  That the Area Committee supports the holding of Roughley’s Bike Show in St Peters Square in Stockport Town Centre in 2017.

(2) That the Area Committee supports the following conditions:-

That the event organisers must

·         consult with all neighbouring businesses before the end of April 2017.

·         comply with the Council’s Guide to Events, including securing all necessary permissions and licences.

·         comply with the Council’s Guide to Town Centre Managed Sites.