Pop-Up Irish Pub Event in Colchester Faces Scrutiny Over Safety Concerns

The proposed pop-up Irish-themed pub event, scheduled for the Christmas period, will undergo consideration following the emergence of safety concerns. Live Tour Promotions has developed plans for an event named Molly O’Reilly’s, intended to take place at the all-weather football pitch situated off Cowdray Avenue in Colchester. An application for an alcohol licence, covering the period from December 6 to December 31, has been submitted and is slated for review by Colchester City Council’s sub-licencing committee on Monday. Mark Goacher, a Green Party councillor representing Castle ward, expressed apprehension that the chosen location for the event might present a risk. He stated, “I am deeply concerned about the impact this application will have on local residents and think it is poorly thought through. There is a higher risk to public safety – potentially to local residents and also drunken revellers from the event spilling out on to Cowdray Avenue on their way home in great numbers.” According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Live Tour Promotions is also responsible for organizing other events in Colchester, such as Colchester Oktoberfest, the Ibiza Orchestra experience, and the Sausage and Cider Festival. The company has been active in the town since 2017, and its website describes Molly O’Reilly’s as a “new exciting events concept.” The submitted application requests authorization for the on-site sale of alcohol, along with the provision of live and recorded music indoors and indoor dance performances, catering to an audience of 1,000 individuals. Preparatory documents for the upcoming meeting indicate that 69 written objections have been lodged against the proposals, in addition to a petition bearing 48 signatures. The organizers of the petition asserted that they were “not killjoys” and maintained that young people ought to have opportunities for enjoyment. Nevertheless, they expressed the view that the location was inappropriate and would not provide financial advantages to the area.