Concerts threat over police costs

The Millennium Stadium will stage two Take That shows in June

Concerts at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium could be under threat if South Wales Police pursue a plan to charge promoters full policing costs.

Chief constable Barbara Wilding said the practice of charging organisers was approved in England in 2005 and she was bringing the force into line.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) executive board will discuss the issue later.

It is thought the WRU would favour focusing on rugby rather than concerts if costs increase significantly.

Business leaders in Cardiff say jobs could be at risk if concerts, such as the two sell-out shows Take That are staging in the stadium in June, are no longer held in the city.

Event promoters have also warned that large concerts could be staged outside Wales.

But Ms Wilding said event organisers should pay for policing outside the stadium, as well as inside, a cost which the stadium currently meets.

She said the changes are necessary with the force facing a �9m funding gap this year and up to �14m next year.

The new charging policy will come into force in April 2009 and will mean special policing services required to stage major events such as football matches and concerts, will be met by the promoters organising the event.

It is understood the executive board of the WRU will look at a number of options when it meets to discuss the matter later.

They include reducing the amount of money it invests into rugby, charging more to customers buying tickets and focusing only on rugby and not staging other events at the stadium.

It is understood the latter would be the preferred option.

But businesses in Cardiff say non-rugby events bring millions of pounds into the local economy, create jobs and help promote the city and Wales to the world.

Russell Goodway, a former chief executive of Cardiff Chamber of Commerce and ex-leader of Cardiff council, said he believed now was not the time "to play politics with people's jobs and people's lives".

"I'm really disappointed and really sorry that the chief constable appears to see the Millennium Stadium and the capital city generally as a liability rather than the very valuable asset that it is," he said.

Promoters will go elsewhere... they would look at Bristol, they would take events away from Cardiff Phil Hayes, music promoter

"Thousands of jobs in Cardiff and south Wales depend on the Millennium Stadium and the business that it brings to the city - it's probably in excess of �1m a week over the course of a year to Cardiff's economy."

Dermot Keegan, general manager of the Holiday Inn in Cardiff and former chairman of the Cardiff Hoteliers Association, said: "It certainly affects our business significantly and if we were to lose events like that I can certainly see a big impact in the challenging economy already on not only what we pay in tax but on who we employ."

He urged interested parties to "get around a table and thrash [the situation] out".

"I know that in the Birmingham region, if somebody said to the Birmingham economy all the business from the NEC is about to disappear, you would soon have MPs, Westminster and other parties around a table fairly quickly," he said.

Phil Hayes, a music promoter based in Liverpool, added that the extra charges could mean concerts go to venues outside Wales.

"Promoters will go elsewhere," he said.

"They would look at Bristol, they would take events away from Cardiff. They would simply look at the economics."

Capital city recognition

Ms Wilding said the force received no financial assistance from the assembly government in recognition of it serving a capital city, unlike in Scotland where the Lothian and Borders Police receive a grant from the Scottish government for policing Edinburgh.

She said with precept funding, raised from the council tax, the force was facing a "worst case scenario" of a �14m funding deficit.

The South Wales Police Authority was unable to reach a decision on Tuesday about the precept funding, raised from the council tax, for 2009/10.

A Welsh Assembly Government spokesperson said: "South Wales Police Authority is funded in common with other police authorities in England and Wales through a common funding formula arrangement based on need.

"This takes account of policing needs in respect of both urban and rural areas. The formula includes a component to take account of special events.

"All local authorities including police authorities should manage their resources as effectively and efficiently as possible."

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