People living close to a site proposed to be used for festivals have called for a licence application to be refused after last year’s events caused their walls to vibrate.

A licence application had been made to Cornwall Council to hold the Oktoberfest and Big ’90s Music Fest on the Cattle Market Site on Newquay Road, Truro.

The application from MADA Events had been due to be considered by the council’s licensing act sub-committee today but it was announced that it had been withdrawn ahead of the meeting.

No reason was given for the withdrawal but with the events set to be held at the beginning of October it is likely to have been cancelled due to the coronavirus restrictions.

It would have been the second year for the event to be held at the Cattle Market with the Oktoberfest previously being held on Lemon Quay.

Last year while the 90s festival attracted positive comments there were a number of complaints about the Oktoberfest with some saying it was “absolute chaos”.

And the licence application for the events to be held this year saw a number of objections being lodged by people living nearby.

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Truro City Council also objected, stating: “This does give cause for concern as the location is very close to a large area of housing, the nearest being flats

and bungalows on Pensilva Road, Polwhele Road and Tregurra Lane, most of which are occupied by elderly and disabled persons, many of whom, who tend to go to bed early and sleep lightly, were greatly disturbed by the unexpected noise last year. There was also much criticism, on social and other media, of the festival being held at the cattle market, from people who attended last

year.

“We should prefer the festival to be relocated back to Lemon Quay, access to which is much better, being located in the city centre and being away from residential areas. Alternative, albeit very much second best, sitings for the marquee may be either of the fields to the east of the market, one being the site of Polwhele Castle, the other being managed by Lodge and Thomas.”

Cornwall councillor Loic Rich also raised concerns saying that there were a “significant amount of complaints last year”.

Nicolette Claxton, of Penmorvah Road, said that the location was “incredibly inappropriate for an event of this kind”.

She added: “During both nights of last year’s event the noise was absolutely intolerable, the volume and bass were causing the walls of my house to vibrate and could not be escaped even when wearing ear protectors. I have an autistic child who consequently could not go to bed until well after midnight and was caused considerable and lasting distress.

“The event of the second night continued beyond midnight and was followed by gangs of inebriated and extremely loud men loitering around the streets, two of whom felt the need to break into my garden, damaging a fence in the process, and use the garden as a toilet. It is absolutely despicable that residents should be treated in this way and subjected to these levels of extreme noise and anti-social behaviour.”