Major events are approved for quiet village

Locals said the area had seen an "explosion" in popularity since the pandemic

Plans to host events potentially attended by thousands in a quiet village have been approved.

South Gloucestershire Council's licensing sub-committee has given the green light to an annual series of summer events at Severn Beach on the outskirts of Bristol.

The plans allow for outdoor concerts, plays, dance performances and a pop-up bar to all take place on the seafront at Promenade Gardens.

Pilning & Severn Beach Parish Council chairman Nick Davies, of Severnside Events, which submitted the application, said it would create a "vibrant front" for the community.

The plans were devised by a group of locals aiming to revitalise the once-thriving seaside resort next to the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge.

Planned events also include a classic car show and the annual Severnside Festival, which is relocating this year from the village hall recreation ground so organisers can manage it better.

Some residents previously suggested parking would be an issue

One resident wrote in support of the application for a premises licence while two neighbours objected with concerns that parking was already a problem, the village was not big enough for a festival and that its peaceful nature would be ruined.

But Mr Davies told the panel that the festival had been running for many years and that a local farmer had agreed to allow a field to be used for parking, which would actually ease the issue compared with normal days despite an increase in vehicles.

He said that many visitors would not arrive by car because there were half-hourly trains and a bus route that stopped at Promenade Gardens.

Mr Davies said: “We want to showcase the seafront and our front garden – it’s why Severn Beach exists. It remains a resort.”

He said added that amplified live and recorded music would be located away from people’s homes, while acoustic performances would take place in Frances Barr Walk.

Mr said that although the capacity would be for 5,000 people, it was more realistic that 1,000 to 1,500 would attend even the largest event.

The sub-committee granted a licence for up to 12 events a year, with no more than three per month, with music and alcohol sales from midday to 10pm from Friday to Sunday – an hour earlier than requested – and music performances restricted to three hours a day following a request from environmental health.