Beer Festival Organiser Seeks To Reassure Locals

Carsten Raun says the Oktoberfest will be tightly controlled

Oktoberfest organiser Carsten Raun has told local people that his German beer-festival on Acton Green Common for five days this August will be highly organised.

Mr. Raun attended a meeting in Chiswick last week in which he outlined how the Festival would be run, including monitoring levels of noise every fifteen minutes with Ealing Council personnel on site. The route to Turnham Green tube station would be fenced off with stewards in attendance, and the Sunday event will be for families.

An example of the poster used to advertise the Oktoberfest

The festival will be based in a giant marquee on Acton Green with a capacity of 1500, all seated. German oompah music from a live band will stop at 2200 and the DJ will stop at 2230. The organisers expect about 800 people to attend on Wednesday and Thursday, August 10/11 with full capacity at the weekend.

Ealing Council has given the go-ahead to the organisers of the five-day German-style beer festival this summer, despite local opposition from Bedford Park residents and a local church.

Those opposed believe it could lead to anti-social behaviour and they say such an event is not suitable for a Conservation Area. Ealing Council says that the application met all its requirements and it had consulted with residents and other interested parties. The event would be the only one on Acton Green this year.

The main points from Mr. Raun at the meeting, which was chaired by Cllr Andrew Steed of Southfield Ward, are as follows:

• His company has been running Oktoberfests across Europe since 2009. This is his 100th. There will be 30 held in European capitals this year, with 3 in London. The first to be held in London was in 2009.

• The Oktoberfest event will be held in a tent on Acton Green within a fenced off area with only one entrance and exit on the rail embankment side. The tent will be 50m x 25m in size, and it will be 30m away from the nearest house. All activity will take place in the tent with a maximum capacity of 1500 people all seated.

• Sound levels will be monitored at 15 minute intervals, and speakers will be angled away from houses. The aim is to keep the noise below 65db when measured close to the nearest house. Ealing Council personnel will be present at all times and they will be contactable on a mobile phone if residents have any noise, or other, complaints (07957593386).

• Toilet facilities will be provided. They will only be accessible from inside the tent. There will also be some toilets (6) on the route out towards Turnham Green station for people to use on leaving. The route across the green to and from the station will be fenced, and controlled by stewards. Attendees are encouraged to use public transport. Transport for London have been consulted and are satisfied that the tubes and buses will be able to cope with the expected numbers

An example of a beer festival in a giant marquee

• Preparation for the event will start on Monday, 8 August. There will be a sound test on the Wednesday before the event opens which residents will be invited to attend. The organiser expects about 800 people to attend on Wednesday and Thursday, and hopes to have full houses on Friday and Saturday. The timings are:
◦ Start: 1600
◦ Live music ends: 2200
◦ Background music ends: 2230
◦ Event closes and customers off site: 2300 (previous experience shows that customers start to leave when the live music ends)
◦ The Sunday event, which is aimed at families, will at 1200 and end at 1900.

The site will be cleared by the evening of Monday, 15 August.
• Only beer and soft drinks will be sold. There will be no spirits available. Strict age limit checks will be in place, and there will be 18 stewards present to monitor behaviour. A total of 35 staff will be on site.
• The police have been consulted and are reported to be happy with the security arrangements. They will be carrying out spot checks.
• This is a one-off event. If the organisers want to repeat the event in future years they will have to submit further applications to Ealing Council.

June 15, 2016