Yorkshire campsite granted licence to play music and serve alcohol despite residents' concerns over loud noise

Councillors agreed to grant Ian King’s application for Aaron’s Campsite, which is at Aaron Hill Farm at Cragg Vale, despite objections by neighbours.

In 20 written objections to the hearing, residents described night disturbance into the early hours, traffic arriving on their doorstep, concerns about wildlife, also about their own livestock, and people camping on the site who had packed up in the middle of the night as they were unable to cope with the noise.

Between May 2017 and July this year seven temporary events notices have been licensed for the campsite, Calderdale Council’s Licensing Sub-committee heard.

Neighbours complained noise resulting from some of these meant that, for example, they could not sleep with their windows open in the heat of summer.

But Mr King told the hearing being able to sell alcohol himself and offer music in a controlled setting would allow many of the concerns raised by residents to be addressed.

In revised proposals, serving alcohol and providing amplified music within a designated barn area would allow him to do this using trained staff, he argued.

One neighbour described the noise as “horrific” told the hearing regarding camping: “I am shocked that the field he uses - which I didn’t think he would originally use - is 200 yards from my back garden and there are gangs of lads there shouting and drinking.”

She said she felt very let down by the council and the police.

Another described her house “shaking” from vibrations caused by music being played at volume.

However, Mr King said: “If anyone is playing music out in the fields close to neighbours, it is an issue - the idea of this is I will put signs in adjacent fields saying ‘no amplified music’.

“The bar and the music would be contained in the area of the barn.”

A supporter speaking for Mr King took issue with negative posts copied from Trip Advisor about the site by objectors, saying these were cherry picked from many positive ones.

Mr King said some allegations made about the site were “completely unfounded nonsense.”

Calderdale Council’s Environmental Health and Planning departments had raised objections.

Principal environmental health officer Ryan Carroll told the hearing it was an inherently quiet area and excess noise would be much more noticeable.

“It ought to be seen that hosting these events is valuable to the community - to my mind that is local residents. Two of them are here and they are saying they don’t want it,” he said.

After considering the application for more than an hour, the councillors agreed to grant - with some amendments regarding finishing times - the licence, which will allow the site to serve alcohol and play music on Thursday to Sunday nights, and non-standard times including Halloween, Bonfire Night and New Year’s Eve when these do not fall on the days stated.