DJ night on derelict Barrow industrial estate 'unsafe'

Council officers and police say the proposed "Salthaus Project" venue is not suitable

A proposed DJ night at a derelict industrial estate would be unsafe and a disturbance to residents, officials have warned.

Pitch Up Events has applied for a licence to serve alcohol and play music at Salthouse Mills in Barrow, Cumbria.

Police said the site was "littered" with rubbish that could be a trip hazard or used as weapons.

Company director James Bonner said he was "confident" issues would be addressed before the event.

"This is stuff like filling potholes, making sure the ground's even to stop hazards, and things like that," he said.

He said some buildings had already undergone structural assessments.

Pitch Up Events directors James Bonner, left, Josef Jackson, middle, said concerns would be addressed

Cumbria Police Sgt Joanne Smith told Barrow Borough Council uneven access to the area would cause difficulty for emergency services, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

"The area is littered with rubbish, including metal, which could be used as a weapon if violence was to occur," she said.

"The residents of Dowie Close would certainly object due to the amplified noise from this area."

Council public protection manager Ivor Churcher said some walls were "broken and uneven in places and in an unstable condition".

'Little acoustic insulation'

Senior environmental protection officer Alison Coward said she had not received the results of a noise survey she asked Josef Jackson, another Pitch Up Events director, to carry out.

"The building proposed for the stage and sound equipment has no roof or windows, so the building will provide little acoustic insulation," she said.

Mr Bonner said the company always did noise surveys before events but "just hadn't done it yet".

He said it would check noise every hour during the event and residents would be given a number to ring if it was too loud.

If granted by the council, the temporary event notice would permit music and alcohol between 13:00 BST and 23:00 on 3 September, although the event is due to start at 17:00.

A maximum of 499 people would be allowed, including staff and performers.