Police oppose cathedral Christmas market plan

Manchester Cathedral says it has submitted the application early so it can "respond to any criticism"

Police and council chiefs have criticised an application by Manchester Cathedral to hold a Christmas market.

The church wants to put chalets and bars along Cathedral Street, which it owns, on 7 November.

But Greater Manchester Police (GMP) raised concerns over how "public safety will be managed and the exact area where the market will be located".

Manchester City Council's licensing team said there was no plan for how numbers would be monitored.

'No plan'

The comments were published ahead of a licensing sub-committee meeting on 19 June which will consider an application for a Temporary Event Notice.

Council officials have recommended the committee rejects the application, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

An objection from GMP said: "There is no mention as to how they are to manage customers that are wanting to take alcohol away from the area.

“How are they to manage the public safety of customers along Cathedral Street if service vehicles are to pass?"

Manchester City Council added: "The application states it is for a maximum of 499 people but the application does not state how this would be monitored [or] make any mention of any provision to prevent customers leaving with their drinks."

The one-day-event is not connected to the Manchester Christmas Markets, which are organised by the council and take over swathes of the city centre.

The Cathedral said it had submitted the application to "respond to any criticism or concerns and make sure we get this right".

A spokesperson said: "This year we would like to create a family-friendly Christmas village around the Cathedral, and it is our intention to work with the city council and the wider area to stage something that enhances the Christmas market experience in our city.

"It will also contribute towards the annual £1.4 million running costs of our Grade I listed Cathedral."