Businesses braced for booming Radio 2 party trade

Luis Silva says hotel bookings shot up when Radio 2 in the Park was announced

City businesses have shared their hopes of booming trade thanks to the arrival of Radio 2 in the Park.

Performers including Bryan Adams, Def Leppard and Olly Murs are due to perform to up to 65,000 people in Chelmsford until Sunday evening.

Preston City Council, which hosted the event last year, estimated it brought £5.3m to the local economy there.

Luis Silva, a manager at the County Hotel, said bookings came in "very, very fast" after the festival was announced in June.

"It is extremely important, not just for the hotel but for the whole Chelmsford area," he added.

The gates at Hylands Park were opened to music lovers on Friday afternoon.

But Mr Silva said some guests arrived at the hotel at the start of the week so they could explore the area.

"It is a boom on the economy, it helps quite a lot at a quiet time of year," he said.

Dean Coles runs the Duckquiri tearoom in Writtle

Dean Cole, owner of the Duckquiri tearoom in nearby Writtle, claimed festival workers had been among his newest customers in the week.

"With an influx of people coming from outside the city, it certainly picks up business for us," he said.

"It's been a really nice buzz around the village."

Chelmsford is no stranger to hosting big events, having hosted V Festival several times between 1996 and 2017.

Also on the bill for Radio 2 in the Park are Belinda Carlisle, Jessie J and Ella Henderson.

Susie Reynolds says people living close to the festival can benefit from its arrival

Susie Reynolds, who lives 15 minutes from the venue, rented out a parking space at her house for the festival.

She explained: "It's good for the local economy, good for the local area and brings a passive income for people living down this road."

Stephen Robinson, the Liberal Democrat leader of Chelmsford City Council, said he was "absolutely delighted" when approached by Radio 2 about the festival.

"It's a really, really great opportunity to put Chelmsford on the map," he added.

Stephen Robinson is celebrating another big event at Hylands Park, which the city council owns