This is who is responsible to police the crowds at Piece Hall events

At public question time before November’s Cabinet meeting, businessman Geoff Fielden said he had been told after asking a question about crowd limits at the 18th century venue at a previous meeting he was told he would receive information in a letter.

“What I received was an offensive email informing me the crowd limit was 7,000,” he said, and asked Calderdale Council leader and Cabinet chair Coun Tim Swift “the answer to my question ‘did officers expect the numbers coming’ has been met by a conspiracy of silence – can you answer that question now?”

Coun Swift (Lab, Town) said it depended on whether Mr Fielden was looking for overall numbers or those for specific events.

It was assumed before re-opening that around 1.3 million people would visit the Piece Hall on its first year and the numbers had been nearly double that which was good news.

Individual events had a crowd limit of 7,000 for individual events and the it was the Piece Hall Trust’s responsibility to ensure that was abided by.

At some events, like the opening day in August 2017, more people would be at the Piece hall for the event, but they would not all be inside at the same time with people going in and out, said Coun Swift.

Mr Fielden said he raised the question because he did not think there were enough facilities for the large numbers.

“They haven’t the facilities for the numbers coming here. I’m not saying dampen it down, but we need to provide the facilities,” he said.