CHEPSTOW Racecourse has been granted a license to host events after being without one for 18 months.

The venue, which hosts thousands for events and racing, had been without a license to serve alcohol and play live and recorded music since the company holding it was dissolved in December 2014, meaning that all events since that time have been unlicensed.

Monmouthshire County Council’s (MCC) licensing section were notified by the racecourse on 16th March that the company that held the licence for Chepstow Racecourse was dissolved in 2014. No transfer of the licence took place at that time, and as such the previous licence had lapsed. With no licence in place the applicant made a new application for the racecourse which was received on 16th March. A new license for the venue was approved last Wednesday (11th May).

The terms of the license include sale of alcohol from 10am to 2am seven days a week and playing live and recorded music from 10am to 2am seven days a week.

Councillor David Dovey made representation at the meeting of MCC Licensing and Regulatory Sub Committee: “My view and the view of the people of my ward is that the license should not be reissued on its current terms.

“It has been in place a long time, the terms it holds are no longer appropriate and it requires amending.

“Chepstow Racecourse have changed their business model and now have festival events that last 3-4 days. The terms of the license are so broad that events like this could be held daily.”

Cllr Dovey also explained his concerns about more powerful sound equipment and the change that the area surrounding the racecourse has gone through.

“Since the original license the area has changed completely. The Penterry and St Laurence estates have meant that approximately 400 new houses are being put into new area,” he added.

“I am not in any way against racecourse making a profit and sustaining its business- I have already spoken to representatives and we are not against concerts that they hold where audience go home after 11pm and residents are left in relative piece. What i am against is the fact that these other events go on until 2am and so when they finish we have a situation where the audience remain on site and when the performance finishes it doesn’t finish for our residents.”

After hearing representation from Chepstow Racecourse’s solicitor, David Dovey and a Monmouthshire County Council environmental health officer, the license was granted as applied for, subject to festival-type events being limited to eight days a year.