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Heaton Park Parklife: Combat Force To Tackle Festival Disorder ….

Council and organisers will set up a new taskforce to combat issues outside Heaton Park ….

A Festival taskforce will be created to deal with crime and anti-social behaviour outside this year’s Parklife festival at Heaton Park (6-7 June).

There had been speculation as to whether the festival would continue at the location four miles north of Manchester city centre after local MPs and Councillors received a deluge of complaints from local residents over drug use, noise, litter and festival-goers urinating around the 600-acre park in Prestwich. One Bury MP, Ivan Lewis, has campaigned to have this year’s festival banned altogether following multiple stabbings and the tragic death of Robert Hart following a violent assault at Parklife 2014.

Manchester City Council and event organisers have said the festival – which attracted 135,000 revellers last year – will have a dedicated team ‘inspired by operations run at Glastonbury’ to support the management of people to and from the site. The force will include police and council officers and the event’s own security team working around a festival control centre. “This is a new opportunity for Greater Manchester Police and partners to deal with any anti-social behaviour before, during and after the event,” said Chief Superintendent John O’Hare.

The taskforce will also look into better drainage for the site and improved travel arrangements to and from the festival, including more effective taxi, bus and Metrolink operations. Organisers say the festival employs more than 3000 staff and pumps £1.65m into local suppliers, and the team will look at how the community and local businesses can benefit from the festival. Councillor Rosa Battle, executive member for Culture and Leisure said:

“Parklife is a predominantly safe and successful music event enjoyed by the majority of people who attend. We have listened to the local community and understand there are issues and concerns, which is why following our review of Parklife that we decided to set up this taskforce. We have also met with Bury councillors to discuss their concerns of the impact that this type of event has on the local community. We believe that the revised approach that we are taking will tackle many of the issues highlighted and address the concerns expressed within the community. “We continue to learn lessons from the staging of these events and we are not complacent. “Staging events like Parklife in Heaton Park have enormous reputational and financial benefits for both the park and the surrounding areas with a direct benefit from the income generated which supports the year round operation of the park.”

Further information can be found at: www.parklife.uk.com

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