A Newquay councillor told a licensing committee today (Wednesday, November 27) that he had “massive concerns” about a pop-up dance event being held twice a year near a location hit by cliff collapses.

James Watson, director of Skybar – a popular mobile South West dance venue – applied to Cornwall Council for a permanent licence to hold two events a year at Trebulsue Farm, Watergate Bay, the home of Boardmasters. He told a licensing committee there had been no complaints since Skybar started using the site in 2018, and it would not mean the closure of any roads or footpaths.

Newquay Parish Council had environmental concerns about the location being used. Cllr Joanna Kenny, who represented the parish, said: “One of the problems with this is it’s a permanent licence. This is an incredibly sensitive area and it’s under a lot of pressure to do things like the Skybar, Boardmasters and all the rest of it.

"Our concern really is if we give this one a permanent licence – and we’ve got Boardmasters as a permanent – then the next one that comes along we can’t balance between them.

“We haven’t had any complaints about Skybar – we think it’s a good organisation and it’s done well. We welcome it being there. Our concern is really the permanency and the cumulative effect.”

She was assured by a council solicitor there was a safety net that any licence would be reviewed if there was an impact locally.

Abby and Richard Paull, who have run the neighbouring 30-acre Treloy Touring Park for over 40 years, also had concerns and have been vociferous in their complaints about Boardmasters in the past.

Mrs Paull told the committee: “We’ve got numerous concerns but our overriding main concern is the noise. We are very close to the Skybar location, which is the same location as Boardmasters. I can see from their website that Skybar are selling tickets for the peak Whitsun half-term, which is obviously our first busy weekend.

“It’s about making sure our campers are able to sleep, aren’t disturbed and we’re able to get on and run our business, so we’re asking for a level of protection. We’re asking for some very fair noise management levels to be put in place and for those to be monitored.”

She said she would be happy for her holiday business to be used as a noise monitoring location as it is for Boardmasters and another neighbouring event, Run To The Sun.

Mrs Paull added that Run To The Sun is held on the same night as Skybar so there is noise coming from two directions to their campsite as they are sandwiched between the two. “We have nothing against Skybar, it’s a great event, but we just want our campers, to be able to enjoy their holiday,” she said.

Her husband said it was a beautiful area which was very important to Newquay and he knew of customers who would not return during the time Boardmasters is held in August.

“It was absolutely trashed and they were horrified at the state of the area. It’s just horrendous giving permanent permissions on that area which grow over time. Newquay is going to find it’s got a disaster on its hands it can’t do very much about.”

Cllr John Fitter, who represents the area on Cornwall Council, said he’d received complaints about Skybar at the site: “My concerns are massive. This is a semi-rural location. It is the unfettered open space between Whipsiderry and Watergate Bay.

"We have a very dangerous situation relating to the cliffs at Whipsiderry and Watergate – we’ve had cliff falls between the two. I’m concerned that people who attend this site will attempt to negotiate their way back to Newquay by the cliff footpath. There is no pavement or street lights.

“I don’t want to establish the idea that we have permanent development in this location. It’s special and needs protection. If we have a licence granted in perpetuity for two events per year, we will have possibly three events taking place in this location now.

“I’ve decided that enough is enough and I really have to say, let’s be careful. If we have to grant something, let’s grant it for two years.”

Mr Watson responded to concerns raised at the meeting, stressing he could only be held responsible for what Skybar does and not Boardmasters and other events. He said the entire site is fenced off which encloses those attending for their own safety.

Replying to fears about hundreds leaving the site at the same time, he added that customers leave sporadically during the final couple of hours of any Skybar event: “There isn’t a mass exodus of 1,000 people on to the road.”

The committee agreed to grant the licence, noting that events have been held at the location for the past three years without the relevant authorities receiving any complaints.