News

Constituency matters... a weekly column by the Member of Parliament for Folkestone and Hythe, Damian Collins.
26 January 2012

I know that people really want to see the Government taking action to cut red tape and bureaucracy, particularly when it gets in the way of voluntary groups and organisations from putting on events.

One of the issues that has often come up in the last two years has been the requirement for small venues wanting to host live music events to obtain an entertainment license from the council. These can be pubs and clubs for whom the cost and time of applying for these licenses is prohibitive, even if they hold regular events.

It can be even more so for a music event that people want to organise to support a special occasion, like the Hythe festival or even for The Queen’s diamond jubilee this year. So I’m pleased to report that last Friday parliament passed a Bill to scrap this requirement; cutting bureaucracy and expense, and making it easier for pubs and clubs to host live performances. This will be good news for local venues and artists and also marks the end of a long campaign from UK Music, and their outgoing chief executive, the Irish pop star Feargal Sharkey.

Folkestone based Louie and Di Burns have become a fixture in the local music scene through their events company Bluesky Pie. They will be moving to Brighton in the summer, but to share their expertise in organising music events and festivals they are organising a free seminar on 7th March, at K College in Folkestone between 12pm and 5pm. If you would like more information about this, you can contact them directly or I will be happy to forward on your details.

Last week, along with members of the House of Commons select committee for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, I visited the Olympic Park at Stratford. Our visit was to assess the work that has been done so far to get London ready for the games; and it is very impressive. Out of a derelict and polluted wasteland, some of the best sport facilities in the world have been created, alongside Europe’s largest retail park and accommodation that after the games will provide homes for 30,000 people. It’s good that this is ready now, and that the athletes won’t be able to smell wet paint as they move in.

After the Olympics, the media centre for the games, which is the equivalent size of Canary Wharf tower lying on its side, will become a centre for creative and hi-tech businesses. There is still some debate over who will be the tenants for the Olympic stadium, but it seems likely that it will be a venue for a combination of premiership football and international athletics. After the games the velodrome and the aquatic centre will be used for competitions but will also be open to the public. It is exciting to think that all of these facilities will be just 50 minutes from Folkestone by direct high speed rail.

Closer to home Sport England have also recently approved grants to the Folkestone Sports centre and the Hythe sports pavilion, as part of their ‘Places People Play’ Olympic fund. Good local facilities also form an important part of the legacy of the London 2012 games.

Hawkinge Gazette and Channel Coast News 2012 ©