Anti-social behaviour is blighting one of the most prominent venues in the centre of Brighton, according to its operator who said that he also faces unavoidable bus lane fines.
Adrian Bristow, who runs the Brighton Spiegeltent, in Old Steine Gardens, said that Brighton and Hove City Council and Sussex Police had not acted on complaints about anti-social behaviour and drug use.
He said that service vehicles were also incurring penalty charge notices (PCNs) because Old Steine Gardens is surrounded by bus lanes and the Spiegeltent site could only be reached via those bus lanes.
In an email to councillors and officers, Mr Bristow said that he had received no support as he tried to operate a professional licensed business.
He said that someone was setting up an illegal sound system on the edge of Old Steine, playing music until the early hours, attracting hundreds of people and drug dealing.
Despite calling the police on both 999 and 111 without response, Mr Bristow said that the force advised him to contact the council’s environmental health team instead.
Mr Bristow said: “The only support we get is from Brighton and Hove City Council’s (BHCC) events office.
“No elected members of the (former) Culture, Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Economic Development Committee have visited.
“No officers of environmental health, culture, tourism or Visit Brighton. The only interaction we get from (the council) is the relentless pursuit of issuing PCNs to us for accessing our site.”
On the bus lane fines, Mr Bristow said that the council had asked for the number plates of vehicles entering the site to cancel the PCNs but he said that it was not easy.
At least 20 vehicles come and go each day from suppliers and performers from around the world, making it hard to keep track, resulting in scores of fines.
Mr Bristow said: “Last year they refused to give us a dispensation for the bus lane. They lease us the site and say they’ll charge us to access it which is ludicrous.
“Last year I kicked off about it and they finally backed down but this year they’re saying we’ve having to submit the number plate of every vehicle that enters the site and there’s at least 20 every day.”
Old Steine Community Association chair Gary Farmer shared Mr Bristow’s concerns about anti-social behaviour.
He said: “Adrian runs a magnificent safe and inclusive space every May on Old Steine and we should be very proud of what he has achieved despite all the challenges of recent years he has faced.
“Anti-social behaviour is not limited to the month of May as you are well aware and is an ongoing problem for residents, businesses, visitors and stakeholders in the immediate area.”
Brighton and Hove City Council said: “Clearly reports of this sort of behaviour are deeply concerning and we will be in touch with the Brighton Spiegeltent operator to discuss how we can support them.
“We understand residents’ frustrations and are in contact with Sussex Police over the concerns raised and what can be done to prevent it in future.
“Anyone witnessing anti-social behaviour or open drug taking here or anywhere in the city should contact Sussex Police.
“If residents are concerned about noise levels, they can contact our environmental health team online at any time or by calling 01273 294266 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.
“As part of our agreement with Brighton Spiegeltent, if we are notified of the vehicle registration numbers of any vehicles being used to support an event within seven days, we will review any PCNs before they have been issued.
“We also do not issue fines for vehicles accessing the site who have need to temporarily enter the bus lane.”
Note: An earlier version of this story referred to the Spiegeltent as a Brighton Fringe venue. The story has been corrected to reflect the fact that this year the Spiegeltent is an independent venue and not part of the Fringe.
All WFH mate. Don’t bother with it next year.
More acquisitive behaviour from our car hating freedom hating council.
“On the bus lane fines, Mr Bristow said that the council had asked for the number plates of vehicles entering the site to cancel the PCNs but he said that it was not easy.
“At least 20 vehicles come and go each day from suppliers and performers from around the world, making it hard to keep track, resulting in scores of fines”
Put the onus on the drivers to give you their registration numbers then. If they don’t and they get a fine that’s down to them.
20 a day doesn’t sound like a lot. You just need a system to collect the info and pass it to the council once a day.
He obviously hasn’t heard of Google sheets. This is just poor admin on his part so zero sympathy on this.
As for the drug taking, it’s central Brighton and your selling alcohol so again, deal with it rather than moaning that everyone else should wipe your bum. I’m sure the amount of money made here at this site is more than enough to get some proper security to move clowns on.
Well if you read the article properly the soundsystem that attracted hundreds until 4 am was not on The Spiegel Tent site and therefore the police’s responsibility to deal with, not Spiegel Tent security.
Me thinks you are one of the idiots he is referring to, stupidly at its finest.
Sounds like you have some healthy competition on your hands, if someone close by is attracting hundreds of people with their music. Well, if you can’t beat em….
Old steine isnt surrounded by bus lanes. I drive down there with no issue.
I am a resident nearby. Loud music and antisocial behaviour till 4am straight , and police refer you to environmental health office who only work weekdays till 5pm and cannot do anything about that.
What a great council! Just taking money from licensing but cannot support local residents.
Sorry for the venue organiser, they are trying to make something safe and great in the area!
Time to end the festival, its only for the bourgeoisie and tourists anyway.
Alright there citizen Smith!
You obviously have never been you utter m0ron !
Locals generally dont go. Its more for those Londers again.
Verily, Russell. We can’t be having the riff raff having fun now, can we?
The council don’t have a police force. How are they supposed to deal with a rave at 4 AM ?
The Sussex PCC says she’s reduced Anti social behaviour by 40% .
By not recording crimes and saying- not my job mate
It is the exact same in Eastbourne, we have a useless police force and a useless council who tell you to call 111, not 999 when someone has attacked you. Who totally ignore blatant drug dealing in certain spots, one police officer on the drug team admits he can not see any relevant written information about complaints we made of drug dealing in our neighbourhood. Our council are proud they’ve planted ‘Olive Trees’ in the Twin centre!! This whilst, the homeless, druggies, buskers, Palestinian protesters, all litter the centre begging and harassing shoppers. The council do not clean or de weed the streets now as they have not got ‘the resources’!! But happy to plant a few olive trees, the containers alone must cost a fortune! and preside over EBs total disintegration! No point complaining, none of them care, all out for their own ends. Nothing gets done. Wealden are a much more proactive council, no doubts. Their streets are gleaming. Congratulations to some people doing the jobs they are paid for, at least. Julie. Eastbourne
If you’re not actively being attacked, and don’t need immediate medical assistance, 111 is completely reasonable.
Perhaps the police and council could work together? Joined up public services an all that! Noise may be a council environmental health matter but public order is a police matter as they showed when it came to the Steyning rave.
I’m sorry, from my personal experience, I doubt it.
With the amount of noise from this site and the site at St Peters going past 10pm, sympathy is nil. Perhaps next year we can have an orchestra of the world’s smallest violins…
We went along on Saturday afternoon, four adults, four young children. Were told we had to empty our water bottles out by jobsworth security. I get it, but him suggesting we (anyone) might have drugs or gin in the bottles..really? I understand one rule for all and these things can happen. Needless to say, we decided to spend our money elsewhere.
I’ve worked a few events like this before, and that suggestion is a very common occurrence amongst other methods, some quite creative.
How is drug dealing, antisocial behaviour and a sound system until 4am – the responsibility of the council?
This comes under the remit of Sussex Police.
What do they think an environmental health officer would achieve tackling a large crowd of ravers in the middle of the night?
Perhaps it’s time the Police & Crime Commissioner earned her £100k+ and actually started doing her job.
The police just ‘protect and serve’ the interests of the powerful elite most of the time.
Think you have to factor access vehicles into your business plan. How would the council know who to fine or not fine.
A rave of hundreds of drunk and drugged folk, would need a massive police presence. Can just imagine the anti police comments the next day.
Sorry to sound like a right wing fascist, because I love the Spiegeltent
Purple Guide dictates what you need, and for several hundred, it’s on the far lower side.
Precisely.
It seems the organiser had an agreement with the council re them not issuing PCNs if he let them know the vehicle registrations yet failed to put a system in place to record the numbers and then inform the council.
Without that info of course the PCNs are going to be issued.
The gardens are a mess, no point in restoring fountain to have these unsuitable constructions every year.
Walked past some of the festivities on Sunday afternoon. The town had a nice vibe to it. The weather that day was lovely. I never went to any Brighton Festival event as I am quite poor. I am sorry to hear about the drug taking. There is so much of it in Brighton and the Police seem to turn a blind eye most of the time. People now seem to walk around smoking doobies and it’s quite nauseating to smell it. The Police really need to up their game.
Get a life grannie
I think it’s more accurate to say you don’t see a lot of the main work that happens around tackling drugs as a civvy, and it can’t be too well advertised because that could spoil the work. I get the optics though.
PCNs,, use fone click pics to council of number plates, druggies and music until 4am,, security firms have dogs,, hire them, dont feed the dogs for 2 days then let them loose, do this then the council and police will jump into action.