I know that people really want to see the Government taking action to
cut red tape and bureaucracy, particularly when it gets in the way of
voluntary groups and organisations from putting on events. One of the
issues that has often come up in the last two years has been the
requirement for small venues wanting to host live music events to
obtain an entertainment license from the council. These can be pubs
and clubs for whom the cost and time of applying for these licenses is
prohibitive, even if they hold regular events. It can be even more so
for a music event that people want to organise to support a special
occasion, like the Hythe festival or even for The Queen’s diamond
jubilee this year. So I’m pleased to report that last Friday
parliament passed a Bill to scrap this requirement; cutting
bureaucracy and expense, and making it easier for pubs and clubs to
host live performances. This will be good news for local venues and
artists and also marks the end of a long campaign from UK Music, and
their outgoing chief executive, the Irish pop star Feargal Sharkey.
Folkestone based Louie and Di Burns have become a fixture in the local
music scene through their events company Bluesky Pie. They will be
moving to Brighton in the summer, but to share their expertise in
organising music events and festivals they are organising a free
seminar on 7th March, at K College in Folkestone between 12pm and 5pm.
If you would like more information about this, you can contact them
directly or I will be happy to forward on your details.
Last week, along with members of the House of Commons select committee
for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, I visited the Olympic Park at
Stratford. Our visit was to assess the work that has been done so far
to get London ready for the games; and it is very impressive. Out of a
derelict and polluted wasteland, some of the best sport facilities in
the world have been created, alongside Europe’s largest retail park
and accommodation that after the games will provide homes for 30,000
people. It’s good that this is ready now, and that the athletes won’t
be able to smell wet paint as they move in. After the Olympics, the
media centre for the games, which is the equivalent size of Canary
Wharf tower lying on its side, will become a centre for creative and
hi-tech businesses. There is still some debate over who will be the
tenants for the Olympic stadium, but it seems likely that it will be a
venue for a combination of premiership football and international
athletics. After the games the velodrome and the aquatic centre will
be used for competitions but will also be open to the public. It is
exciting to think that all of these facilities will be just 50 minutes
from Folkestone by direct high speed rail. Closer to home Sport
England have also recently approved grants to the Folkestone Sports
centre and the Hythe sports pavilion, as part of their ‘Places People
Play’ Olympic fund. Good local facilities also form an important part
of the legacy of the London 2012 games.