Green light for Gloucester Rugby events venue

Gloucester Rugby’s plans for a multi-function venue at their training centre have been given the go-ahead despite serious concerns over noise.

The rugby club was granted a new premises licence for their St Catherines Street site by Gloucester City Council last night (November 21).

The Cherry and Whites will now be able to host concerts, conferences and sporting events as well as serve alcohol and late-night food at their training centre.

They agreed that all licensable activities would allowed to run seven days a week from 8am until midnight at the latest, with the exception of 12 events a year.

On those 12 days, alcohol and late night refreshment will be allowed to be sold until 1.45am while live and recorded music and dance performances will be allowed until 2am.

However, some seven people had objected to the proposals and a petition against the plans was submitted to the council.

Residents expressed their fears at the licensing sub-committee meeting held at North Warehouse.

Ron Summers, an objector who lives opposite the training centre, said there are 70 homes within 100 yards of the facility who are going to be affected.

He also explained that they have had extremely high noise levels coming from the site during the summer.

“It prohibited the use of gardens, conservatories and people working outside because it was a constant booming noise coming from the training ground, anything up to 12 hours. I don’t know how the children are going to manage to sleep.”

Mark Worthington, licensing consultant for the applicant, said the function suite would have a maximum capacity of 720 people.

He said the rugby club is an asset to Gloucester and helps drive revenue for the whole city.

But Gloucester Rugby also needs revenue from other sources to be financially stable, he added.

Mr Worthington also explained the events held at the training centre will vary and ruled out opening as bar on a daily basis.

“We can’t just rely on match days. And we feel that licensing part of the training centre will assist the club financially and also enhance the brand of the club, Gloucester city as a whole and add a new cultural venue to those already established in the city.

“We are not looking to operate as a pub, or a bar open seven days a week, that is not what our intention is.

“We are not going to be open as a nightclub, open every weekend. The business is more focused on event bookings such as meetings, conferences, local traders’ markets.

“On match days it will provide more space for fans to meet before and after the match.

“We will also look to host indoor sporting events and televised events of national significance. And also look to host music events, both classical and modern, live and recorded, comedy nights, plays, films and there may be other events of a similar nature.”

By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter

Gloucester News Centre – http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk