PARKSIDE residents have demanded a ‘level playing field’ when it comes to licensed public events, saying their home lives could be blighted all year round.

Barry’s Romilly Park Road homeowners are calling on the Vale Council to amend licence conditions to match those of the Welsh Government Barry regeneration area-funded Nell’s Point, Barry Island, events space.

Barry Island residents convinced the Vale Council to reduce the event-ending hour from 10.30pm to 8pm with a start time of 9am at a licensing meeting in 2014.

People living near Romilly Park say an environmental officer was not able to give a view on their particular application – unlike Nell’s Point – and the minutes of January 2015’s licensing meeting were incomplete.

They say they weren’t opposed to events and welcomed family friendly ones which encourage the use of the space.

58-year-old father of three Steve Pearce, of Romilly Park Road, said: “Both points are relevant because they illustrate the dual standards being applied by the council between the Barry Island event site and Romilly Park.

“I’ve got a Led Zepplin LP, but I wouldn’t inflict it on my neighbourhood.”

He said last year’s GlastonBarry event had bothered neighbours surrounding the park.

He said: “I was rather disappointed that Neil Razor Ruddock did manage to appear which certainly added to my angst. Residents were exposed to his four letter word repartee blasting out over the PA system continually for the duration of his act and despite a formal police presence.

“At this meeting in January the council has granted to its parks department the power to grant licences for such events any day of the year, from 9am in the morning to 11pm at night and at any green park space in the area - Porthkerry, Lakeside, Romilly Park and Alexandra Park, but a few local residents’ reasonable objections were ignored.

“I am no killjoy but the scope of the licence has opened up a whole new can of worms and begs the question which part of the community is being served by such initiatives and for whose commercial gain?”

Wife Debra, 53, said: “There are a lot of older people around the park and they feel vulnerable. Kids come down and throw bottles and drink. It’s not just the volume, it’s the base. We can feel it, not just hear it.”

Grandmother-of-two Ros Bryer said they wanted the licence to resemble the one at Barry Island.

She said: “All we want is a level playing field.”

GlastonBarry co-organiser, Mack Events’ Ross Mackintosh said they loved the park and were delighted to return again this year.

He said: “The license is till 11pm but we have decided to stop all music at 9pm and made sure it's in the summer holidays and still light outside so we take everybody into consideration. Romilly Park will only be holding three or four events a year and we are looking forward to be one of them.

Baruc councillor, Steffan Wiliam said residents had brought attention to the matter in January.

He said: “Unlike Nell’s Point, where we were able to raise the matter at the relevant licensing committee and defeat the very badly thought out proposals, Romilly Park was presented to residents and local councillors as a fait accompli. It is scandalous that there was little consultation.

“The council has neither the ability nor the intention to flood the park over the summer with events every night. The licence gives them the option to put events on that will probably only amount to a couple of nights a year.

“As local councillors we will strive to defend the residents from a repeat of last summer’s unacceptable, intrusive and offensive blasts of bad language and loud noise which began early in the evening and continued until late at night. We will also insist on have a strong input into vetoing any future plans to involve the questionable talents of some contributors and any other private money-making scams.

Vale MP Alun Cairns said he had concerns about how the licensing decision was taken.

He said: “I very much welcome new events coming to Barry, but the authority should ensure that they are in appropriate areas. I am concerned that Romilly Park might not be one of them.

“I have requested information to give detail of the decision making process that went into the awarding of a license for this venue. I will continue to monitor the situation to see what, if any, problems arise for local residents during events and look to see how interruption can be minimised.”

Vale AM Jane Hutt said she had been contacted by residents and raised points with the Vale Council which had stressed that it was sensitive to the needs and concerns of immediate neighbours.

She said: “I will be following up again to suggest that the council meets with local residents in order to address these concerns and find a positive way forward.”

Vale Council cabinet member for events, Cllr Lis Burnett said premise licences enabled the council and community groups to put on events in Barry and the wider Vale’s public spaces and the authority had 15 premise licences for outdoor sites across the Vale – including residential areas.

She said: “All of our premise licence applications cover a 365 day period and the vast majority run from 9am to 11pm. This does not mean that we intend to hold events every day - our most frequently used site, Barry Island, is used only four times a year – however, it removes the need to apply for individual temporary licences for each event. This reduces costs both for council tax payers and for community groups wishing to host an event themselves.

“We take health and safety at our events very seriously and anyone wishing to use a licenced site must present a plan addressing issues such as security to our events safety advisory group before permission to use a site is granted.”

Residents have set up a petition and plan to pursue the matter further.