Road issue could ruin Cobo gigs
Thursday 20th May 2010, 11:30AM BST.
THE atmosphere at Cobo Bay Hotel balcony gigs will be completely ruined if organisers are not allowed to shut the road, according to a member of a band due to play there.
The popular events are under threat because the police are refusing to close the road without an alfresco licence having been granted. Organisers have been told they would have to pay £1,000 to apply for such a licence to close a short section of the road, with no guarantee it will be approved.
Hotelier David Nussbaumer said he might have no alternative but to try to confine the audience within the grounds of the Rockmount. No Paparazzi member Mark Guillou said if that happened there would be no atmosphere and added that there were already too few events at which bands could play in front of a big crowd.
The police have authorised road closures for the events before but this time they asked the Law Officers to define a special event. Officers have the power to close roads for special events under two ordinances but the term is not defined. The chief officer has now decided to apply the term more narrowly, meaning the balcony gigs no longer qualify.
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Even if the road is not closed, people will still crowd in it and then the risk of accidents becomes higher. Though if enough people still stand in the road and create a ‘human barricade’ then cars arent really going to go down it
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Simple solution. Appoint a local chief officer.
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If they want to close the road they should have to pay and apply for it.
This is not a community event – it is a Company wanting to make money and has a massive Car Park at the back they can use. Can we open this up to all pubs round the coast if there is no cost to closing a road?
If they are interested in the Community, tourism then maybe similar to Roquaine Regatta there is a Cobo Concert\fun day organised by the Cobo Community which has fun on the sand and other events to go with the concert?
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This is so stupid.
This event had happened plenty of times in the past with no problem, why suddenly change it?!
Are drivers going to be that bothered about taking the short detour around the back of the Rockmount?!
People should just blockade the road with vans/cars on both filters!
I like your idea “RealAle” a Cobo Regatta would be sweet!
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Plain daft – in a small island there needs to be give and take and it’s hardly a big deal to redirect traffic for a day or two.
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I don’t think it’s a question of the Police refusing to let the event continue.It’s more a question of tight budgets and a ‘polluter pays’
principle.
If the Police have to fork out for States Works to put out signs and barriers ( and no doubt a massive clean up thereafter )then that’s fine as long as the funds don’t come out of the Police Budget
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