RESIDENTS worried about the impact of a planned two-day music festival in Bury have been reassured their concerns will be taken into account before certificates are issued for the event.

The BL9 Weekender, to be headlined by The Happy Mondays and Razorlight, is scheduled to take place at Bury FC's ground in Gigg Lane on June 13 and 14.

The event is the result of a collaboration between club chairman Stewart Day and music industry guru Andrew Brooks.

At last week's full meeting of Bury Council, Conservative candidate for Redvales at next month's local elections, Sue Smith, put a question to council leader Mike Connolly about the event.

She asked: "What assurances can Cllr Connolly give to those residents who may have concerns regarding possible anti-social behaviour, noise, parking problems and general disruption this event will cause over the course of the weekend?"

Cllr Connolly said he could assure Ms Smith and residents in the vicinity of the stadium that "their concerns are uppermost in our minds."

He added: "The council is pro-actively seeking reassurances that matters relating to crowd management, traffic arrangement, crowd dispersal, emergencies, health and safety, waste management and noise management are dealt with to our satisfaction.

"The premises licence granted to the club require that detailed operating plans dealing with these matters are prepared for each planned event.

"It is up to the club and promoter to show they can run a successful event. We are currently awaiting submission of those plans.

"Only when the council and police are 100 per cent satisfied that appropriate controls are in place will the necessary certificates be issued. Redvales ward councillors are also making representation to the club on behalf of residents."

After the meeting, Mr Andrew Brooks, BL9 founder, said: "The BL9 Festival is working hand in hand with Bury Council and the local community to ensure that the people of Bury feel they are kept informed and involved throughout the development of this exciting new music festival venture, and that any concerns or questions are heard and responded to.

"The promoters of BL9 have worked closely with the council and the safety advisory boards to ensure that every protocol required is adhered to and have even proposed a reduced capacity for this first event to 12,500, from a licence allowance of 14,999, to demonstrate that our team is focused on ensuring a safe and well managed event for all parties concerned.

"Our event safety plan is at an advanced stage and will cover every aspect needed to allay any and all concerns of the council, Greater Manchester Police, and local residents."

Mr Brooks continued: "The extensive experience of the BL9 team can be demonstrated by the fact that we have cumulatively worked on every major music festival in Europe and the USA, including the likes of Glastonbury, Global Gathering, V Festival and Radio 1 Big Weekend.

"Key members of our safety management team have been responsible for creating and implementing safety parameters that have since become standard practices throughout the event industry in the UK."

For more information abut the festival, and to book tickets: visit http://www.bl9weekender.co.uk/