A private school in Bath has been given the go-ahead to serve alcohol to large crowds at its sports pitches, despite fears from locals that it will turn their quiet village “into a Glastonbury”.
The playing fields in Bathampton | Image © Google Street View / Google 2024
King Edward’s School applied to Bath & North East Somerset Council for a licence to sell alcohol and play music and films at its sports pitches in the village of Bathampton.
Most events would have to finish by 6pm and be for fewer than 500 people, but 10 a year could carry on until 11pm and host up to 3,000 people.
The plans caused outrage in the “silent” village, with 48 people lodging objections with the council.
Lodging their objection, Susan Shaw said: “Bathampton is a village and should not be turned into a Glastonbury.”
Angela Donald added that the village “should not be subjected to a noisy and alcoholic bunch of festival people”.
Dr Stephen Haigh said: “King Edward School is a private school that contributes very little to the vast majority of residents of Bathampton village – they have stopped villagers walking their dogs on the field and now prevent local children from playing on the field too.”
He warned that the events held there were already “disruptive”, adding: “This is a field in a quiet local village and is not the right setting for an entertainment venue.”
He was one of nine people from the village who also attended the licensing hearing before Bath & North East Somerset Council’s licensing subcommittee on 31st October.
The school’s licensing solicitor Ewan Macgregor told residents that the cap of 3,000 attendees was a figure suggested by the police, stating: “We will never ever reach or be near the 3,000 figure that is suggested on the licence.”
He said that events would be the rugby and cricket festivals that already happened, and things such as weddings for former pupils, and would “not be Glastonbury”.
He added: “None of these events will be run for private gain. The school is a regulated charity so any money generated from these events will be reinvested in the school.”
But Lin King of Bathampton Parish Council said the school was being “disingenuous”.
She said: “Although I believe in the short term this is all you want to do, we all know that if a licence is granted with the conditions as they stand, in future you could have 10 events with up to 3,000 people going on late into the night selling alcohol into the night.”
Dr Haigh told the committee he lived on a boat on the canal at the edge of the sports pitches five months of the year.
He said: “The reason why I’m there is it is a quiet area. It’s just silent.”
Bernadette Metters warned the panel: “If you grant this full licence .. there will be havoc. The children will go on making noise. This is not fair — it’s an erosion of village life.”
Locals also warned that it would cause illegal parking and traffic chaos for so many cars to turn up in the tiny village to attend events. The school said it would provide shuttle buses.
The licensing subcommittee agreed to grant the licence as applied for, subject to an additional condition that the school will arrange transport to large events.
John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter
