To receive a presentation on the 2018 Reading Festival.

James Crosbie, Regulatory Services Manager, and Noel Painting, Festival Republic, gave a presentation on the 2018 Reading Festival.  The presentation focussed on the issues of safeguarding and welfare and sustainability. 

James highlighted the Council’s multiple roles in the planning and regulation of the festival.  The Council had received 38 complaints about the festival in 2018, which was down 20% on the number received in 2017.  20 of the complaints had been noise-related.  The Festival Licence had permitted a capacity of 100,000 in 2018, an increase of 5,000 on the previous year and would be increased to 105,000 for the 2019 Festival.

In respect of safeguarding and welfare, James explained that the following support had been available on site prior to 2018, an onsite hospital with staff trained in mental health, a first aid point in the arena, a first aid point in White Camp, 2 welfare tents with trained drugs counsellors/mental health support staff, 2 street pastor tents offering support, street pastor patrols of campsites, a salvation army tent, a Samaritan tent, anti-drugs messaging and a profiling search policy on wristband exchanges/arena or, entrance.  Enhancements for 2018 had included a safeguarding co-ordinator, who had been a trained social worker, communications and reporting had been enhanced, the introduction of safe hubs and a help map and relevant messaging.  There had also been back of house drugs testing taking place, more information tents and the introduction of rejection tents.

In respect of sustainability, James reported that the Festival had used a number of different methods to communicate the message about sustainability, including ticket wallets, the website, social media, newsletters, programmes, onsite posters and big screen messages and green messenger volunteers.  Every campsite had a recycling point which was looked after by green messengers who encouraged campers to separate their waste.  The majority of recycling had been separated offsite and had achieved a 68% recycling rate. 

Noel gave an overview of Festival Republic’s proposals for the 2019 Festival, which included improving the plans and provision for those attendees who arrived on the Thursday evening, including opening the silent arenas that were in the campsites on the Thursday evening, putting the street pastors into the main arena, developing the safe mates campaign with other agencies, more live debriefing with the safeguarding partners on site.  

Resolved -   

That James Crosbie and Noel Painting be thanked for their presentation.