Ofcom has today published a consultation on proposals for how a grant scheme should operate to support Programme Making and Special Events (PMSE) equipment owners affected by the 700 MHz clearance.

In November 2014, Ofcom announced that the 700 MHz band – which is currently used for digital terrestrial TV and wireless microphone applications, known as PMSE – would be repurposed for mobile data as soon as practicably possible.

Ofcom’s spectrum management decision in October 2016 means the timetable for the 700 MHz clearance programme will be accelerated by 18 months, with the aim to complete it by the second quarter of 2020. We have, therefore, served notice on PMSE users in the 700 MHz band that they will no longer have access to this spectrum from 1 May 2020.

The government has decided to fund a grant scheme to support PMSE equipment owners that need to vacate the 700 MHz band. We have agreed with Government to design and run a scheme to disburse the funds.

This document sets out our proposals for how the grant scheme should operate, including the eligibility criteria that claimants should satisfy in order to be considered for funding.

Separately, we are also consulting today on proposals to make available the 700 MHz ‘guard band’ – 694 MHz to 703 MHz – for use for PMSE services.

The closing date for responses to both consultations is 29 June 2017.

A Greener Festival (AGF) have announced all 25 winners of the Greener Festival Award since the schemes relaunch in 2016. These are the first events to receive this prestigious award since it’s relaunch last year, with additional requirements of events who apply.

An Awards ceremony for winners was held at EPIC, Eurosonic Noorderslag, in partnership with Green Event Netherlands on Friday 13^th January, 2017. AGF Director Teresa Moore presented certificates to winners including Glastonbury Festival (UK), Das Fest (Germany) and Body & Soul (Ireland)

Co-Founder of AGF, Claire O’Neill said “Events who have achieved the Greener Festival Award 2016 have shown an incredible dedication to walking the talk, minimising the environmental impact of their events and using them as a positive and much needed portal for change. It has not at all been easy, with the most challenging assessments to face events in our 10 year history. We salute all of you!”

To participate festivals are required to complete a self-assessment looking at 11 categories of sustainability including travel & transport, waste, local ecosystems and external reach and behaviour. Independent AGF Auditors visit the event to inspect the actions on the ground, and work with the organisers post event to gather supporting evidence and data.

“After five years of raising the bar on the environmental and community impact of Green Music Fest, A Greener Festival challenged us to critically analyze all aspects of event operations. Bright Beat now brings this elevated level of awareness to all of our events, as 'a rising bar lifts all festivals” said Stephanie Katsaros, Sustainability Director of Highly Commended Award winner, Green Music Fest (Chicago, USA) and Bright Beat Founder.

And the 2016 winners are:

OUTSTANDING
Boom Festival (Portugal)
We Love Green (France)

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Cambridge Folk Festival (UK)
DGTL Festival (Netherlands)
Glastonbury Festival (UK)
Green Music Fest (USA)
Heart of Glass Heart of Gold (France)
Øya Festival (Norway)
Welcome to the Future (Netherlands)

COMMENDED
Bona Nit Barcelona (Spain)
Das Fest (Germany)
Extrema Outdoors (Netherlands)
Greenbelt Festival (UK)
Kew the Music (UK)
Liberation Festival (Netherlands)
Malmofestivalen (Sweden)
Northside Festival (Denmark)
Primavera Sound (Spain)
Wood Festival (UK)

IMPROVERS
Arla Food Fest (Denmark)
Body & Soul (Eire)
LaSemo (Belgium)
Metal Days (Slovenia)
Nozstock: the Hidden Valley (UK)
Paradise City (Belgium)

An insight to what these events are doing, and what is on the horizon for sustainable events will be presented at the 9th annual Green Events & Innovations Conference, London, 7^th March, in association with the International Live Music Conference (ILMC).

Ofcom has today published a decision explaining that it will aim to make the 700 MHz band nationally available for mobile data by the second quarter of 2020 – 18 months earlier than originally planned

In November 2014 Ofcom announced that the 700 MHz band – which is currently used for digital terrestrial TV and wireless microphone applications – would be repurposed for mobile data.

As part of its funding for the 700 MHz clearance programme, Government has agreed to fund a grant scheme to support PMSE users who will have to vacate the 700 MHz band earlier than expected.

Ofcom has also set out its decision to allocate 20 MHz of spectrum in the 700 MHz band – known as the ‘centre gap’ – to mobile data.

For further details, click here

The previous chancellor, George Osborne, created a stir amongst the ranks of sole traders when he announced a future rwequirement for quarterly tax reports from all businesses. Many believe that this would mean 4 tax returns per year, with cost and time being a major concern. Subsequent debate clarified the issue , some MPs have asked for further detail of the system around which these requirements would be met.

The bigger picture is Government's desire to 'Make Tax Digital', plans for which have been set out in a series of consultation documents, with added information available online and via face to face sessions and webinars.

To better understand plans, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/making-tax-digital and take advantage of the various methods of feedback.

With thanks to https://www.genesis-initiative.org/ for raising the issue at their meeting yesterday.

The makers of Star Wars: The Force Awakens have been sentenced after failing to protect the actors and workers while on set during filming at Pinewood Studio, Slough, Buckinghamshire.

Harrison Ford suffered a broken leg and deep lacerations when he was knocked off his feet and pinned to the floor of the Millennium Falcon set, as a prop door closed on him. HSE’s investigation found that there was no automatic emergency cut off, to protect those on set, instead relying on the reactions of the prop operator(s) to bring the door to a stop.

Aylesbury Crown Court heard how a combination of preventable events, starting with how the door was designed, led to the incident.

During dress rehearsals on the 12 June 2014 Harrison Ford walked back towards the entrance ramp of the Millennium Falcon and pressed the prop door button to ‘close’ the door. As the cameras were not rolling he did not expect it to close. The production crew member who was operating the prop believed they were in full rehearsal and closed the door.

The door’s steel frame was overlaid with sheets of metal and had a tapered edge. It’s operation moved from ceiling to floor in a sharp downward motion. It did not have any automated safety mechanisms to cut out if a person was unexpectedly under the door.

The risk of the door causing a serious injury or death had been highlighted by one of the health and safety officers for the production company. Foodles Production (UK) Ltd should have put a system in place to ensure the actors and production workers were protected. A different design with inbuilt safety features or using a different material could have guarded against any possible miscommunication on a busy film set.

Foodles Production (UK) Ltd, who had pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to Section 2 and Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, were today fined £1.6 million and ordered to pay costs of £20,861.22 at Aylesbury Crown Court.

HSE’s Divisional Director Tim Galloway said: “This incident was foreseeable and preventable and could have resulted in more serious injury or even death.

“The power and speed of the door was such that, had Mr Ford or anyone else had been struck on the head by the door as it closed, they might easily have been killed.

“It was only the almost instantaneous actions of the prop operator in hitting the emergency stop that prevented the door from continuing to press down on Mr Ford as he lay on the floor.

“I think everyone would accept that all the people who work in the film industry have a right to know that the risks they take to entertain us, including when making action movies, are properly managed and controlled.”

HSE is reviewing the requirements in health and safety legislation for the inspection or thorough examination of work plant and equipment.  They want to hear views from all types of business about how well these requirements are working and how they might be improved to promote effective and proportionate approaches to equipment inspection. 

The work will consider the requirements for inspection or thorough examination of work plant and equipment contained in the following regulations:

• The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER)
• The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)
• The Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 (PSSR)
• The Work at Height Regulations 2055 (WAH)

Between now and January 2017 HSE willl be gathering evidence and seeking views from stakeholders across industry about where improvements might be made.

They are seeking to report on findings and make recommendations by March 2017.  Improvements will then be implemented over the following two years

You can undertake the survey here on the HSE website.

VisitBritain has today launched a programme to attract more global business events to the UK.

The four-year Event Support Programme offers advocacy and funding to grow and develop the UK’s international business events industry, currently worth about £19 billion to the economy.

The programme is open to Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) or venues and event organisers who are collaborating with DMOs and offers the chance to apply for funding from a pool of £1 million annually.

Organisations can also apply for non-financial support in the form of endorsement from advocates including Government Ministers, overseas diplomatic missions, UK Trade & Investment and other influencers.

Tourism Minister Tracey Crouch said:

'Britain is open for business and we want to encourage as many people to visit and organise their events in the UK. This new programme will help grow this multi-billion pound industry even further, boosting our economy and bringing more people to our shores.'

VisitBritain/VisitEngland Chief Executive Sally Balcombe said:

“VisitBritain is committed to growing the UK’s valuable business visits and events sector and promoting its world-class destinations and venues to drive more inbound business tourism.

“By working with local organisations we can attract more lucrative international business events to Britain spreading the economic benefits of business tourism across all our nations and regions.”

Support is available for activities that help secure business events for Britain, develop new events and boost the economic impact of existing events.

Non-financial support packages could include letters of support or video messages from Government and non-Government influencers, attendance at a bid support activity by a Government Minister or hosting meetings to help secure events for Britain.

For more information about the Event Support Programme (including criteria and the online application form) see: https://www.visitbritain.org/events-support-programme-overview

Over 40 UK music festivals have pledged to work together to create a more environmentally sustainable festival industry by signing Festival Vision: 2025 — the vision and roadmap for a sustainable future presented by industry think-do tank Powerful Thinking in its seminal environmental report, The Show Must Go On.

Festivals both large and small, with genres from rock music to words, are united around the vision.Bestival, Hay Festival, Shambala and Secret Garden Party have taken the pledge, and Festival Republic have signed up their entire portfolio of 11 UK festivals including: Latitude, V Festival, Reading, Leeds and BBC Proms in the Park.

The Vision: 2025 Festivals aim to halve festival emissions and reach 50% recycling rates by 2025. They have also pledged to reduce travel-related emissions and improve the sustainability of food sourcing. Integral to the pledge is the intention to measure, record and share key environmental impacts from festival operations using credible methods, such as the Julie’s Bicycle free Creative Green IG tools or by working with the A Greener Festival Awards, in order to track progress. 

A full list of the participating Festivals and details of the pledge can be found on the Festival Vision: 2025 webpage along with key resources from The Show Must Go On report to help festival organisers make successful changes toward sustainable practices.

Festival Vision: 2025 Webpage: www.festivalvision2025.net

The Business Visits & Events Partnership (BVEP) has been invited to co-ordinate the views and concerns of the events industry surrounding Britain’s decision to leave the European Union, as part of initial reviews being carried out by the Department of Media, Culture and Sport (DCMS).

 Launching as a follow-up to the pre-referendum survey that the association undertook ahead of the vote, the BVEP will be surveying the entire industry and reporting the results back to the government with one clear voice in representation of the industry’s interests in forthcoming Brexit negotiations.

The ‘BVEP Events Industry Referendum Impact Survey’ includes questions surrounding; recent cancellation experience, primary concerns and key priorities for event businesses, what EU legislation they would like to see kept and what they would like to see scrapped plus also the chance to comment on any opportunities they have noted since the referendum.

Following the results of the survey, representatives of the BVEP and the newly formed Events Industry Board will meet with ministers over the summer to discuss the initial finding and begin to formulate an approach to ensure that the views of the events industry are fully taken into account during any Brexit negotiations.

In addition, the BVEP will be working with a number of other representative bodies, such as the Tourism Alliance, in order to provide a comprehensive overview of the key business issues for the event industry that will need to be considered in the future negotiations required to establish new and sustainable trade arrangements.

Simon Hughes, Vice Chair of the BVEP explained; “The BVEP has been asked by the DCMS to provide industry input and co-ordination to discussions that will be taking place with Ministers, as well as informing the work of the Events Industry Board which will also be representing the industry’s concerns to the relevant government departments.”

He added; “Our focus is to support the development of a robust body of evidence that will inform the negotiations that lie ahead. The support of the industry and our members will as ever be invaluable in this and I would encourage them to complete the survey.”

The BVEP Events Industry Referendum Impact Survey can be found here https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ZPL7XV3 and will be live until early September.

Ofcom has today published a statement making minor amendments to the licence exemption regulations for white space devices.

These amendments add further organisations qualified by Ofcom to the list of organisations which may provide database services to white space devices.

‘White spaces’ are gaps in the radio spectrum in frequency bands, which can be used to offer wireless applications, which can bring benefits to citizens and consumers.

The white spaces covered by these regulations are in frequencies currently used for digital terrestrial TV and wireless microphones, among other services, in the 470 - 790 MHz spectrum band.

Major Events International Summit, the Forum for Major Sporting Event Professionals – EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT

12^th -13^th October 2016

London Aquatics Centre

PSA partners, Major Events International, will be hosting their Major Events International Summit on 12^th & 13^th October at the London Aquatics Centre on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.  This highly interactive peer-to-peer event caters for companies active in major sporting events. The event brings together  experts from current and future organising committees & sports bodies, venues & key commercial  suppliers involved in major sports events.  This highly interactive ‘non-conference’ format is limited to 100 commercial company attendees, with priority to MEI Members. This growing community of experts will be joined by key  stakeholders who are interested in sharing their future requirements and learning lessons of past events & projects. Major themes include: Fan Engagement, Overlay, Technology, and Safety & Security.

PSA members are entitled to an exclusive 10% discount on day passes, and 10% discount on Award dinner tickets. Please refer to the attached flier for more information, and contact Ellie Lewis via email summit@majoreventsint.com or call 020 073 2661 to request your invitation.

Music industry campaign prompts action from Government to help protect UK music venues

London, UK 14/3/16: Today, UK Music, Music Venue Trust and Musicians’ Union welcome new Government legislation to protect music venues following a meeting with Ministers at the Department for Communities and Local Government and Culture Minister Ed Vaizey MP.

New regulations, coming into effect on 6 April 2016, mean developers are now required to seek prior approval on noise impacts before a change of use from an office to residential building can be carried out.

Recent permitted development right extensions that have allowed changes of use to take place have put pressure on music venues making them prone to noise complaints from residents once they move into the area. In London alone 35% of grassroots music venues have closed in the past eight years.

The new regulations will amend the permitted development right.

UK Music’s Bristol live music census published this month by Bucks New University found that 50% of the city’s music venues were affected by development, noise or planning issues.  These issues pose a direct threat to the future of Bristol’s vibrant ecosystem which generated £123million towards the local economy in 2015 and supported 927 (full time equivalent) jobs. The UK live music sector as a whole contributed almost a billion pounds in GVA to the UK economy in 2014 and employs over 25,000 people across the country.

Details of the new regulations were revealed in a letter to UK Music CEO Jo Dipple. Ministers suggest that the new regulations will encourage local authorities to require applicants under the permitted development right to put in place noise mitigation measures where appropriate.

The Ministers’ letter outlines steps Government intends to take including notifying chief planning officers of the change to permitted development rights and re-emphasising updated planning guidance on noise that highlights the potential of new residential developments on live music venues.  Whilst these steps do not constitute the introduction of an Agent of Change principle, the new regulations mark a step-change in planning law.   

The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) Order 2016 was presented to Parliament on 11^th March 2016 and will come into effect from the 6^th April 2016. The new regulations can be found here:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/332/pdfs/uksi_20160332_en.pdf

Commenting on the amendment,

Mark Davyd, CEO, Music Venue Trust said:

“We warmly welcome this breakthrough for the UK's grassroots music venues. This common sense move by the government provides an opportunity for local authorities to use their powers to ensure that live music continues to play a vital economic, cultural and social role in our towns and cities. For music venues, this has never been about stopping development or preventing the creation of much needed new housing; it's always been about ensuring that new development recognises the culture, economy and vibrancy of city centres by building great housing, enabling existing music venues and new residents to live in harmony. This is a major victory for the UK's music venues and music fans. The fight to protect, secure and improve them goes on.”

Jo Dipple, CEO, UK Music said:

“Ministers Ed Vaizey, Brandon Lewis and James Wharton deserve sincere thanks for taking up our cause and offering to act on industry concerns.  There are times when it seems Government does not listen. When it does, and when it acts on what it hears, we should be proud of our political masters.  The Music Venue Trust has done an amazing job to raise awareness and push this issue to the top of the Governmental “in tray”.  If these new regulations have the desired effect, grassroots venues around the UK will have additional powers to help them survive and prosper.”

Horace Trubridge, Assistant General Secretary, Musicians’ Union said:

'We are delighted to see that the Government has responded to our calls for action to protect grassroots live music venues. Hopefully, this will ensure a brighter future for this vital resource'