Organisers of a Harry Potter-themed event have failed to conjure up a licence to sell booze after the plan was turned down amid residents' complaints - and a politician's swipe that "normal men" would not drink the fare on offer. Forestry England wanted people to have mulled wine and Irish cream hot chocolate as they made their way around an illuminations trail at Cannock Chase Forest in Staffordshire, set to run from October. The bid was turned down by Cannock Chase District Council which received more than 75 objections, plus the jibe - during a licensing hearing - from a Reform UK councillor.
The applicant had told the hearing that it would ensure there was no adverse impact for neighbours. Permission was also sought to play music along parts of the designated route lined with illuminated features depicting scenes from the Harry Potter franchise. But as the suitability was thrashed out by the council's licensing sub committee and ultimately rejected, member John Parkes questioned the sort of drinks that would be sold, claiming "normal men" would not partake of such beverages.
The branded, non-alcoholic drink Butterbeer was unaffected by the ruling. Parkes described Butterbeer as "horrendous". Jon Payne from Forestry England told members at Wednesday's meeting: "It's very much a family-orientated event.
"The amount of alcohol consumption is very small, served from limited outlets in the forest, and not available throughout the site." One resident who objected to the application said people should not be encouraged to "drive to an event, have a drink and then drive home", claiming it could put children in danger. "We don't need Harry Potter, it's already a magical place," she added of the event's location. "We're not trying to be killjoys but the woods can be challenging at night – it's dark and it's dense.
"Add alcohol and the risks multiply. Must we tell our children that every event we do should be soaked in alcohol?" The licensing application proposed to sell alcohol and play music between 15:30 and 22:30 while the event was taking place. Another resident raised concerns about those timings, describing the evening as a period when people expected "to enjoy peace and quiet".
"Residents are concerned about lights shining into bedrooms and repeated vehicle noise," he added. "They have experienced problems at previous events including noise, parking problems, and anti-social behaviour." Emily Sewell, from event producers Culture Creative Limited, said background music would be used in "limited areas" of the site. She added that, in the company's experience, one in five visitors drank alcohol at these events.
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