Huge summer festival gets green light (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Huge summer festival gets green light

8:22am Saturday 5th July 2008

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BIG name acts including Roni Size and the Stereo MCs will be performing in a tiny Cotswold village this summer after licensing chiefs granted permission for a family-friendly festival.

The Bloom Festival will take place in Hartley Farm, Coberley, between 8 and 10 August and organisers are hoping to attract 6,000 music fans.

Organiser Franc Gooding has run two similar festivals in Durham Park near Bath and in North Dorset which were both a success.

As well as performances from Just Jack and the Brand New Heavies, there will be an arts market, a kids zone, a cabaret lounge, a Pimms cocktail bus and a holistic massage area.

But Mr Gooding's application attracted 10 letters of objection from neighbouring residents and organisations such as Natural England.

Nearby resident Ronald Ragon said it would be "an assault on our senses over the three days/nights of the event."

He told the licensing committee: "I don't think it is a suitable site and the congestion at the Seven Springs and the Birdlip roundabout would be sheer chaos."

He added: "I think this is very unfair of a few thousand people wanting to listen to music to inflict this on residents."

The festival site is next to a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSi) which contains special limestone grasslands and species such as butterflies and orchids.

Paul Hackman from Natural England expressed concern the site would be damaged by festival-goers, particularly from camping and fires.

But Mr Gooding has agreed to fund six police officers to patrol the site from 6pm and 2am on the Friday and Saturday.

National Trail officer for the Cotswold Way, James Blockley raised concerns of public safety as the roads surrounding the site have steep banks.

The Cotswold Way follows the northern part of the site.

He told the licensing committee a possible diversion could be set up around the field to prevent people having to walk along the road.

The licensing committee granted permission for the festival with 12 conditions suggested by environmental health officer, Ray Brassington, including one which stated sound sources would be inaudible between 1am and 9am on Friday and Saturday and 11pm and 9am on Thursday and Sunday.

Chairman Cllr Sandra Carter said: "The conditions imposed on the licence were considered necessary to promote the prevention of public nuisance by limiting potential noise disturbance from premises close to those residential properties."

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