Glastonbury licence hearing

Although the Festival is generally viewed as having overcome its worst problems, the make-up of Mendip District Council changed in the last local elections, and is now tory controlled. The Public Entertainments Licence application is heard and voted on by the Regulatory Board of the council, many of them were new faces since the 2003 hearing in February.

It was explained that there were three possible legal reasons to refuse granting the licence:

suitability of the applicant (Melvin Benn)

suitability of the site

the nature of entertainment

Melvin - a director of event promoter Glastonbury Festival (2004) Ltd along with Michael Eavis - explained that following the success of 2003, the organisers weren't complacent and were working with council, the police and others to reduce remaining problems - often already much reduced.

He detailed the changes in the 2004 application, and to be honest most of them have nothing to do with what attendees experience as they're outside the fence. However, there's plans to improve the access to the Lost Stage area, and to reduce onsite traffic to the benefit of pedestrians.

It's worth noting that the campervan fields will no longer let in cars with tents (even with campervan pass).

When their turns came, the police and fire services were particularly brief. Both seemed happy enough with the plans, and their ability to work through any problems with the organisers to a satisfactory result.


Michael and Emily Eavis at the meeting
When time for public speaking, two Pilton parish councillors spoke. The first admitted that problems were much reduced, but the second was harsher with her criticism.

She asked the question "Does any other event in the UK cause so much disruption?" Well, yes, many do (I personally know it's not much fun living in Farnborough when the Air Show is on - those planes are not only loud they shake your house, and they practice overhead for weeks before. And the traffic.... All to sell weapons of death!). Perhaps she should get out more?

Two speakers from the general public gave differing views. The first had spoken to object in February and gave much the same this time, whilst the second seemed almost as wildly positive as the first had seemed wildly critical. Then after a quick sumation from Melvin, it was down to the Regulatory Board to debate any issues before a vote.

The first to speak is a longstanding opponent of the festival, disliking it on his and his voters doorstep. Whilst never going to do anything but vote against granting a licence, he did conceed "Melvin came along twenty years too late. I hand him his due - in two years he's performed a miracle".

The second I remembered had voted for a licence in February, and it was obvious that he would again when he said there was "success to build on". The next two were harder to fathom out, but from what they said I felt they would vote each way.

The fifth to speak explicitly said he would vote for a licence, so once it was clarified exactly which suggested option for a licence he was for (a licence with 14 conditions - the same as the Festival operated under in 2003), the motion was seconded by a sixth person. Once all that wanted to had spoken, the motion was put to the vote and carried. Just one voted against.

A second vote confirmed the licence numbers as a total of 150,000. That's 112,500 normal 3 day tickets, 3,500 Sunday tickets for locals, while the remaining 34,000 are for staff, performers and traders.

The fee for the licence was set at £89,350 - an increase of £5,000. This is to cover the councils costs in all aspects of its involvement in the festival, from licencing to monitoring.

So ... see you all in a sunny field in Somerset in June ... can't wait :-)

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