Decision to Cliffhanger at Millhouses Park

Dear Catherine

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Dear Catherine,

Thank you for your request for information regarding the staging of our
Cliffhanger event at Millhouses Park. I will respond to your question in
the order in which you raised them.

1) The decision to hold Cliffhanger in Millhouses Park for 2008 rather
than Graves Park as it had been previously was made by Mary Bagley under
delegated authority. This decision was made on the 13th December 2007.

2) As with all major events it is impossible to ensure that no congestion
or parking difficulties will occur locally, as a result the document you
ask for does not exist. However, the events team have many years
experience of managing such events and have produced a Traffic Management
Plan to minimise the impact of the increase in visitors to the park over
the two days of the event. This plan was detailed at the recent Licensing
Board hearing and is attached to this e-mail. This plan will be updated as
preparations for the event progress and will advice will continually be
sought from Sheffield City Council's Highways Department.

<<Traffic Management Plan1.doc>>
3) The cricket outfield will be outside of the event area and open to the
public as normal, this area is approximately 8000 m2. The event is also
free for children and Ecclesall Woods is literally across the road from
the event should people want access to high quality green and open space.

4) My response here is similar to that of point 2. No such strategy exists
as it is impossible to ensure all visitors leave in a "quiet and orderly"
manner. Millhouses is an extremely popular City Park and throughout the
year regularly attracts hundreds and sometimes thousands of visitors a
day. There is no strategy to ensure that these "regular" visitors leave in
a quiet and orderly manner either.

Cliffhanger is a family orientated event and we expect approximately half
of its visitors to be children. This event should not be compared to a
football match or a pop concert where thousands of people attend at a
specific time and leave all at once. Visitors will come and go at
Cliffhanger over the whole day and although we hope for up to 10,000
visitors a day, experience of this type of event suggests that at its
absolute peak only 3,000 visitors would be present at any one time. With
these points in mind we do not anticipate that visitors would leave the
event in an overly loud or un-orderly manner. Clearly the event will be
well stewarded and the experience of the Councils Outdoor Events Team will
ensure a well planned and organised event. These considerations formed
part of the Licensing Boards decision on 27th May 2008 to award a Premises
Licence for Millhouses Park that was necessary for us to hold Cliffhanger
at this site.

I hope this response provides you with the information you require if you
have any other questions regarding the event please feel free to contact
me on the number below.

Regards

Chris

Chris Heeley
Community Services Manager
Parks and Countryside
Sheffield City Council
Meersbrook Park, Brook Road
Sheffield, S8 9FL

Tel: 0114 273 4285 Fax: 0114 255 2375
[mobile number]
E-mail: [email address]

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