Funfair at Paisley's Barshaw Park given green light despite objections from neighbours

A funfair will go ahead at Paisley’s Barshaw Park next month after it was given the green light in the face of noise and privacy concerns from residents.

Fairground operator Trevor Smith was granted a temporary public entertainment licence for an 11-day period from August 10 to August 20, covering 1.30pm until 9.30pm, at the regulatory functions board on Thursday.

The decision means organisers can hold the event as planned, despite objections which were raised by neighbours in nearby Glasgow Road.

Douglas Frame said: “We’ve stayed on Glasgow Road for almost 40 years in various houses and we don’t have a problem in general with the park.

“But really, I think a 10-day licence is totally unnecessary, especially when you’ve got a credit crunch in place and people are trying to trim what they’re spending. I just don’t think it’s required at all.

“The real crux of the matter is it’s a real invasion of our privacy to have it. The height and the proximity to the houses is just unnecessary.”

A written objection was also submitted by John Patrick, another resident, which focused on noise, cars spilling out onto the road and anti-social behaviour.

However, it was emphasised at the meeting that the fairground won’t be in the car park, as it was last year, but instead on grass – at a spot further back from Glasgow Road.

John McKissock, a solicitor representing Mr Smith, said: “The complainers’ houses, to my mind, are quite distant and they have basically a line of mature trees between them and the park.”

He added: “I’ve been acting on behalf of my client for many years and one of the things that he is very careful about is taking sound measurements of the effect of the noise of the fair.

“The idea is not to create a rabble and basically get objections to yourself, the idea is basically to have some background music and my client, as the licensee, has always been very strict about keeping this down.

“He has been measuring this with a decibel meter and has basically said that the idea is essentially that it will be no more than six decibels across the road where the houses are, which would be the nearest house – not the complainers’ houses.

“At the nearest house, there should be no more than six decibels coming from the fair at any time. The traffic noise is considerably louder than that.”

Mr Smith said: “This fair was put in the car park at the last minute last year because of the clearing of the pond, which I’m sure some of you are aware did happen.

“This year the fairground is moving on to the grassed area across the road from the car park.

“The majority of visitors are very nice people, they’re all families.

“I’m out to earn a living just like anyone else. My living is operating fairgrounds and running fairgrounds.

“I don’t have any other business. If this licence is not granted, I will be closed down for those two weeks.”

Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes asked Mr Frame if he considered the site for the funfair next month an improvement on where it had been located previously.

He responded: “It’s better than what it was last year because last year was just an absolute nightmare.”

Councillor Cathy McEwan asked Mr Frame for his views on plans to monitor the noise and ensure it was no louder than the traffic on Glasgow Road.

“I think at the end of the day, a lot of it’s lip service,” Mr Frame said.

After a break which allowed councillors to consider the submissions, it was agreed the licence would be granted.

Councillor John McNaughtan, board convener, said: “We’ve given careful consideration to all the evidence we’ve heard this morning, to the objections from Mr and Mrs Frame and Mr Patrick, which was submitted in writing, and we are ready to move to a determination.

“On balance, I would move that we grant the temporary public entertainment licence in this case.”