New round of rows over beer festival

THE leader of Oldham Council has hit back in a row over the cost of staging Oldham’s annual beer festival.

Councillor Howard Sykes claims council tax payers have footed tens of thousands of pounds to stage the popular two-day event at the Queen Elizabeth Hall over the past 10 years.

But Mike Robinson, member of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) who organised the event, said figures produced by Councillor Sykes are misleading and the council has never had to fork out to hire their own hall.

The row began in January when Phil Woolas MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth claimed the council had priced the beer festival out of business by charging organisers for the first time.

The festival was due to mark its 24th year but has been axed and replaced by a three-day event held between eight town centre pubs on Friday to Sunday.

Since 1999, organisers traditionally held the festival inside the council-owned Queen Elizabeth Hall for free, in return for a donation to the Mayor’s Appeal Committee from the takings.

However, all political parties agreed to scrap the free hire agreement last year and start charging the festival for the six days it needs to set up, stage and take down the event.

Councillor Sykes said the commercial cost of booking the venue for the full six days last year was £12,000, while festival organisers donated £6,000 to the Mayor’s appeal.

He said: “In 2009 the council tax payer therefore handed over a hidden subsidy of £6,000 to the event. Someone has to pay for the hall staff, heating and missed opportunity costs.

“The end of the free hire agreement was voted for by the three parties.”

Councillor Sykes said festival organisers would not discuss reducing the number of days they wanted.

He added that details of the free hire deal had been dragged into the political arena to preserve an arrangement which was “not justifiable”.

He said: “Opportunity to find a way forward to preserve the event this year was offered — but the MP, his backroom staff and CAMRA via Mike Robinson appeared to have little appetite, preferring instead to play party politics with sensationalist headlines.”

Mr Robinson said: “This figure of £12,000 has been bandied about but it doesn’t cost the council that amount.

“That figure is just the potential hire cost if someone is prepared to hire the Queen Elizabeth hall for six days.

“It is a misleading comment. It does not cost the council money to hire the hall.

“The council has always given us free use of the venue and this year has chosen not too. This year’s CAMRA beer festival has been cancelled because the council wants to charge us.”