The New Star Session R.I.P. PELs

Subject: RE: The New Star Session R.I.P. PELs
From: Pied Piper
Date: 10 Jan 03 - 11:29 AM

The only way to make politicians Local or National do anything is to grab them by the throat and pin them to a wall (speaking metaphorically of cause). Publicity Publicity Publicity, hard on the politicians and on the causes of political mendacity.
All the beast PP

Subject: RE: The New Star Session R.I.P. PELs
From: The Shambles
Date: 10 Jan 03 - 10:51 AM

The point about this one is it was only the letter on its own that was enough to prevent this long-running event. It was never visited to establish if the activity was licesable or the activity was specifcally exempt fom the licensing requirement.

That is why I was alway banging on to the councillors about the risk presented to these events. It is gone and the council don't have any revenue from any PEL.

A no win situation............for anyone.

It would be helpful if you could send your thoughts on this to the council and local paper, I feel we must at least try to ensure that this does not happen anywhere again.

Subject: RE: The New Star Session R.I.P. PELs
From: The Shambles
Date: 09 Jan 03 - 02:29 PM

The following letter (not the bits in bold) was published in the Dorset Evening Echo Juanuary 9th 2003. [Before news of the ending of the New Star session]

No more unreasonable implementation?
Change in entertainment policy?

In the Echo 27th December 2002, Tom Grainger, borough council chief executive, was quoted as saying. "There's no suggestion that people's enjoyment of folk music will be spoilt by any unreasonable level of implementation over entertainment licences."

Does this statement finally mean that Weymouth and Portland' Borough Council have now changed their current unreasonably implemented policy, for a new and enlightened one? Which the all the council can be applauded for in 2003?

Does it mean that the council will never again be classing unpaid members of the public, who are making music for their own pleasure, as 'performers' in a public entertainment, for the sole purpose of preventing this activity and insisting that more than two participants will make already inspected licensed premises automatically unsafe without payment of an additional fee to the council?

Does it mean that this borough is being distanced from the same kill-joy defence of this policy given recently by the chair woman of West Dorset District Council, when they recently used this to prevent a long-running traditional performance of a traditional mumming play in two Cerne Abbas pubs?

See the front page and the Echo's call for common sense, in the editorial comment for 18th December 2002. Perhaps Mr Grainger would confirm in these pages and provide some evidence, that this change of policy, toward this common sense, is now indeed the case?

As this confirmation will ensure the support and goodwill of all folk music enthusiasts, a factor that is a necessary requirement to ensure that the council funded Weymouth Folk Festival is the success Mr Grainger and all of us, hope this year's planned event will be.

For there remains a very serious suggestion, that people's enjoyment of folk activities (and others) are being spoilt at this very moment, by an unreasonable level of implementation over entertainment licenses in this borough. And that this unreasonable policy is apparently strongly supported by all of our council's elected representatives.

Perhaps this suggestion can be specifically answered, without for once, the attempt being made to shift the blame for a clear matter of local policy onto one of the law?

Messages to the Chief Executive:
[e-mail]

And copied to
echo letters
[e-mail]

http://www.weymouth.gov.uk/main.asp?svid=7&svaid=187&svapid=1581

Details above of the council's own folk festival on Weymouth and Portland Borough Council's own website.

Subject: RE: The New Star Session R.I.P. PELs
From: Mr Happy
Date: 09 Jan 03 - 11:59 AM

Oh no- the tip of the iceberg- the shape of things to come

Subject: The New Star Session R.I.P. PELs
From: The Shambles
Date: 09 Jan 03 - 11:51 AM

Dear Mr Knight MP

I have just spoken to the licensee of the New Star. The folk session that has been taking place there every week for over 5 years, without any complaints from anyone and without any visits being made by the officers to ascertain if this, the only musical activity taking place there was a licensable public entertainment, is no more.........

The delicate nature of these spontaneous events and the danger presented to them by being viewed in this clumsy and reckless manner is very clearly demonstrated here locally but is sadly all too common as well nationally.

The licensing manager, following information of the event being supplied to them by my new ward councillor and against my expressed wishes, issued a letter in the week before Christmas stating that any music or dancing taking place at the New Star would have to have a PEL.

As a result at the first opportunity since the Christmas break, which was last night Wednesday 8th January 2003, the licensee proposed to the regular customers, who came to continue the 10 year tradition of making unpaid folk music in Portland pubs without PELs, that they did this as a private event in the skittle alley instead of the bar, until the situation with the council could be clarified.

As a result the customers left, intending to continue their session in Weymouth, in one of the many pubs there which do pay the local authority for a PEL.

Due to the direct action of the councillors and the officers, and despite the honest efforts of many over the past 2 years, including yourself, Portland has lost a perfectly safe, beneficial community cultural activity, to its larger neighbour and in an area that is in dire need of such benefits.

An activity that would have cost the council nothing to encourage, except in some real effort being made to try to understand its true nature and how to leave such badly needed, precious and fragile activities alone.

The New Star session. R.I.P.

Messages to the Chief Executive:
[e-mail]

And copied to
echo letters
[e-mail]