A local Residents’ Association in Newcastle has said some residents are “absolutely adamant” hosting a music festival in a local park is “disgraceful and disgusting”.
This Is Tomorrow brought 30,000 festivalgoers to the city’s Exhibition Park last weekend, along with Noel Gallagher, Foals, Stereophonics and Lewis Capaldi. The line-up failed to impress some residents of a nearby street, where one branded the festival “diabolical” and “three days of excessive noise”.
Another local, 72-year-old Chris Bates said: “It was unbelievable. I was in church on Sunday morning and even when the organ was playing I could still hear the music from the festival.”
Des Matheson, chairman of the Brandling Park Residents’ Association, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service large parks like Exhibition Park generate income which funds smaller parks around Newcastle. He said: ” I hope that they will give a considerable amount of that income to the parks that host these events rather than the ones that don’t or can’t, because of the disruption it has caused here.”
Mr Matheson added: “I know there are a number of residents who are absolutely adamant that this is disgraceful and disgusting.”
Noise limits in residential areas were monitored and set at 15 decibels above normal, with sound technicians ordered to reduce the volume whenever this limit was exceeded.
A busker started an impromptu rave in an underpass near the park as festivalgoers left on Saturday night. Some local residents took to social media to poke fun at those complaining about the noise.
A spokesperson for Newcastle City Council said: “This is Tomorrow, being held for the first time at Exhibition Park, was a brilliant weekend with some amazing performance from the star-studded line-up.
“This festival, like similar events held in major cities across the UK, really grabbed the attention with an overall attendance of more than 30,000 for the weekend. This will have had an economic benefit of around £6m for Newcastle.
“Open air urban concerts inevitably cause noise overspill into residential communities. To balance the needs of residents and promote events in the city we ensured there was prior notification for those who were most likely to be impacted.
“Noise levels were monitored throughout and we were working towards keeping them within levels deemed appropriate through national guidance.
“On occasions, the noise did exceed those levels and in such instances, we instructed the sound technicians to reduce the volume. We apologise for any difficulties experienced with telephone lines over the weekend. This experience will form part of the reviewing process.”
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James Cross, chief executive of Newcastle Parks and Allotments Trust, said last week: “Ensuring more people have the chance to enjoy Newcastle’s amazing open spaces by attending activities and events is something we’ll continue to do.
“From community gatherings to art and cultural performances, outdoor exercise to some larger-scale events, these will all add to the experiences on offer in the city’s parks and allotments.
“Events like This is Tomorrow help generate revenue that we will reinvest to make sure the city’s green spaces continue to be somewhere people of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy.
“The income from the city’s parks is reinvested to help ensure these important spaces are self-sustainable and will always remain free to enter and enjoy.”
Image credit: Drew De F Fawkes / ( CC BY 2.0 )
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