Date published: 07 February 2025
Photo: Google, DigitalGlobe
Mayfield Sports Centre
A sports club in Rochdale will host another music festival for around 2,000 people this summer, despite neighbours’ noise complaints.
Mayfield Sports Centre in Castleton held its first-ever event in August 2024. But when an application landed at the council’s feet for another event on 9 August 2025, disgruntled locals made their voices heard.
Objections led to a licensing hearing at Number One Riverside on 7 February. Simon Colderley represented Adored Events, which is behind a number of events across the Greater Manchester.
The firm had made a one-off application for a licence to sell alcohol, play music and live events between midday and 9.30pm at the Chadwick Lane-based club.
During the hearing, Rosalie Shiels and fellow Keswick Street resident Mrs Singh claimed the 2024 event kept them up until the early hours and feared the next festival could create crime and antisocial behaviour.
Miss Shiels, whose house backs onto the sports pitches, told the licensing sub-committee: “I had to leave my home because of the noise. Why should I have to leave my home, I pay taxes and I work.
“It’s a cost of living crisis, so why should I have to live with this so these guys can profit from these events.”
She went on to explain that a number of punters in 2024 remained at the club for an afterparty that went on until 3am. Mrs Singh added that the Keswick Street residents have had a number of problems with the club over the years, including people running naked on the pitches and late-night events disturbing locals.
Mr Colderley explained the event last year was incident-free and highlighted a number of the objectors complaints related to other events put on by the club, not his company.
“We are an independent company that comes in to run a festival,” Mr Colderley told the committee. “We have no connection to other events at the club.”
He went on to say they run a number of similar events in the North West that are run professionally, safely, and with ample security staff.
Mr Colderley went on to offer a gathering of neighbours to ease any concerns and even offered to help locals iron out their grievances with the sports club.
The licensing sub-committee, chaired by Councillor Phil Burke, approved the one-off licence with the stipulation it ends at 9.30pm in order to reduce disturbance to residents.
George Lythgoe, Local Democracy Reporter