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Initial analysis of returned Pop Festival Questionnaires The Planning & Licensing Committee of Newport Parish Council have

announced their initial findings after an extensive survey of residents in the vicinity of the festival site at Seaclose Park. The response to this consultation has been quite phenomenal. The Parish Council delivered 1102 questionnaires and had more than 570 returns; a response of just short of 52%. Anyone who has been involved in any kind of survey work or canvassing will know that this is a very impressive response indeed and, in itself, a full vindication for undertaking the task with such limited resources. The initial analysis of the major part of the exercise has been completed in the last few days and the following is a brief summary of the response. More than 65% of the respondents have lived at their current address for ten years or more... very helpful, as they have lived with the event as it has grown. Close to 71% support holding a major pop festival at Seaclose Park. Some 62% attend or have family members who go the festival. 358 respondents or households (64%) are opposed to the increase to 90,000. The level of inconvenience is difficult to gauge as 54% believe that the level of event this year (2011) was minimal or not very significant whereas 230 respondents considered it to be quite significant/very significant. Almost 66% were satisfied or better with the traffic/parking arrangements. Almost 67% were satisfied or better with the level of policing/marshalling. Around 59% were comfortable or better with the number of days/hours when live music is played although distance may have influenced this response as it still means that nearly 200 respondents took an entirely different view. Similarly 58% are comfortable with the noise levels, although again there are almost 200 respondents or households who have a quite different view. Worryingly no less than 151 respondents have experienced criminal or anti-social behaviour; a large number of these on several occasions. Finally almost 55% admit that the event causes them change their day to day business, sleeping pattern, activities etc.

The Committee believe that this demonstrates that a very large number of local residents have a view on the matter and they were prepared to take the time to share that view with others as part of a formalised process, whether its in opposition or in support of the event. This, in itself, raises two very important and fundamental points. Firstly that irrespective of the shortcomings of the relevant legislation that places no statutory requirement on the Licensing Authority to consult widely, the Committee feels that IWC had at least a moral obligation to local residents and should have conducted a comprehensive resident survey prior to now and certainly before the decision taken in May to increase the size of the event to up to 90,000. Secondly, the response on the increase in the size of the festival is a clear vindication for the position adopted by the Parish Council in opposing the last license application and speaking publicly against the increase that is continuing to cause considerable concern locally. The appraisal of the remainder of the returned questionnaires will, in due course, put more flesh on the bones in terms of the overall response. In some respects the support for the festival is good to see and the promoter could well draw some comfort from the results along with the Officers (IWC) involved in the local transportation arrangements as well as the Police.

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