'People were climbing on top of cars' - sports club's beer festival plans scuppered by angry neighbours

Plans submitted by a south Manchester sport's club to host a beer festival for 2,500 people have been refused following objections from angry neighbours.

Didsbury Sports Ground, which is home to a variety of sports teams, wanted to extend their licence to cover the outside area of the site - to provide one outdoor public event a year to be held in the summer months.

But local residents said they were shocked to find out that what they initially thought was a one day event next summer was actually a three-day craft beer festival for up to 2,500 people.

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It comes as The Licensing Sub Committee panel in Manchester Town Hall heard how previous events from the sports club had seen unruly behaviour from drunk patrons filtering through the residential area back towards Didsbury Village.

Police had even been called when customers had climbed on top of parked cars en-route home from the venue during the festive period, the committee was told.

The licence extension was asking for permission from Manchester City Council for a capacity of up to 4,999 people, which raised eyebrows from neighbours.

Residents, who already have a gripe with the Ford Lane site amid claims of ongoing issues of loud music being played during late hours of the night, feared that the area could be hit by a wave of anti-social behaviour from revellers leaving the site.

Neighbours claim the establishment had not been adhering to their current licence, which gave them grim expectations as to whether they could contain 2,500 people.

Objector Natalie Dawes, speaking at the hearing, said: “I am really disappointed the club owners didn’t come here today. This has become more and more of a