The following from Flos Headford on the EFDDS forum:
I must have missed out on something - I don't recall any safety features in the Licensing Act. My reading of recent correspondence on this is that it seems that some Local Authorities seem to be using the Act as an excuse for barring what they see as exciting (for which they read 'dangerous') activities on their home patch which involve outsiders coming in. And that, in some cases, the local constabulary feel they don't have the manning to cope (because they've never been to Sidmouth).
Safety law is in place. Noise regulation is in place. The question is - why would anyone need this part of the legislation? Let alone devolve the criteria to local councils, who have too much on their plate already? I know what the Spanish or Italians would do -and so do you. Fiesta!
The problem is simply this: assuming we rescind all references to public performance in that Act, could *you* draught anything that would help to quell the unseemly behaviour which afflicts even country market towns at weekends?
The honest answer is NO. We have legislation that was designed to combat a perceived threat to inner city areas being applied to Nempnett Thrubwell.
It is the implication that music is to blame that we ought to focus on.