Agenda item

The meeting was a hearing under the Licensing Act 2003.

The Chair introduced the members of the Sub Committee and the officers present.

The Sub-Committee’s Legal Advisor, Giles Salter, outlined the procedure for the meeting.

The Sub Committee considered the application for the grant of a time limited premises licence at Dunkeswell Raceway Ltd for a one-day event known as RevFest on Saturday 29 August 2026.

The applicant, present and entitled to make representations, was Mr Peter Jeanes. Mr Jeanes was accompanied by Laura Podilchuk (Event Manager, Kept Events) and Simon Jarman (Facilities Manager / Health and Safety Manager, Dunkeswell Raceway).

None of the interested parties wished to add anything to their written representations.

The Licensing Manager summarised the application as set out in the report and stated that the applicant had advised that the security firm they intended to use was ‘Red Elephant’, this being a change from a previous company.  

There were no questions for the Licensing Manager from the Sub Committee or the applicant. 

The applicant made the case for the application and highlighted the following points:

·         The RevFest event was intended to celebrate 60 years of karting at the circuit, and the organisers were committed to delivering a well-managed and respectful event for the community.

·         The event was planned carefully with concerns in mind including traffic, noise, safety and the overall impact on the community. 

·         The applicant would be attending the Safety Advisory Group to address potential risks and ensure that all licensing objectives were covered. 

·         Ms Podilchuk outlined the measures set out in the Event Management Plan, Noise Management Plan and Traffic Management Plan to mitigate the concerns of residents and agencies.

·         The Raceway had previously hosted events with up to 1,500 attendees and had done so safely and responsibly. 

·         Events such as RevFest allowed people to be creative, express themselves and socialise, helping to reduce tension, anxiety and stress.

Responses to questions from the Sub Committee included the following points:

·         The RevFest event was for a maximum of 3,000 people and overnight camping was available since it was anticipated that some people who had driven would want to have a drink.

·         On the suggestion of Environmental Health, noise levels would be measured at the nearest house and not in the centre of the circuit.

·         An expert would be on site for the duration of the event to monitor and control noise levels, and they were confident that noise would be below 65dB for the whole day. 

·         The applicant was keen to ensure the success of the event and was not willing to consider a break in the loud music at a point between midday and 11pm, since this did not typically occur at festivals and there was a risk of losing people who would not understand why the music had stopped.

·         Due to capacity, it was not possible to safely hold the event indoors.

·         The applicant and SIA security staff would be on site overnight to keep everyone safe and to ensure campers did not create a noise nuisance.

·         RevFest would be the applicant’s first event with music and for this reason, they had been careful to have the right people in place to ensure and safe and enjoyable experience.

·         If successful, organisers would consider running the same event annually given that it was good for the Raceway, the community and would bring tourism to the area.

·         Ticket purchasers would be informed of the correct route to and from the event by email and on the website. 

·         Local residents would be provided with Mr Jeanes’ telephone number and the main officer number for queries or concerns on the day of the event.

·         It was intended to stop supplying alcohol by 11.00pm and to ensure everyone had left by midnight.

For the purpose of the licence, the Legal Advisor sought to clarify the time at which it was intended to terminate licensable activities.  Following discussion, the applicant confirmed that it would be acceptable to them that music should stop at 11.00pm, supply of alcohol at 11.30pm and the premises would shut down at midnight.

In summary, the applicant stated that they were on site all week, every week, and were always happy to have local residents come and speak with them directly.

The Chair thanked everyone for attending and advised that the decision would be notified in writing to all parties within five working days.