Licence review over Laverstoke Park Farm festivals (From This is Hampshire)

CarFest will not be affected

1:00pm Thursday 9th August 2012 in News By Emily Roberts, Chief Reporter

A REVIEW of the licence allowing Laverstoke Park Farm to hold summer festivals will be held next week.

The farm is hosting CarFest, organised by Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans, over the August bank holiday weekend.

But concerns raised by those living nearby about the event have resulted in Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council agreeing to review the licence which permits two large events per year for up to 20,000 visitors.

The outcome of the review by the borough’s licensing sub-committee will not, however, affect this year’s CarFest at the farm, which is owned by former Formula 1 champion Jody Scheckter.

Papers published for the sub-committee meeting next Wednesday say that during the consultation process about the review, the differing parties were offered the opportunity for “confidential mediation hosted by the licensing manager”.

The papers add: “Two meetings were held. No agreement was reached.”

The report says there were 172 people who wrote to the council in support of the review application, of which 128 were accepted as having valid grounds. Of these, 110 were sent following a letterbox and circulation campaign from a group known as Overton Laverstoke Group.

Attempts were made to identify a member of the group to act as a spokesperson to present and speak at the meeting, but the report says the council did not receive a response. One email from an objector to the licence said: “There is no doubt in my mind that the influx of some 20,000 people per day throughout the duration of the festival will cause considerable noise.”

Another wrote: “With 20,000 people attending the festival, the amount level of litter will extend many miles from the site.”

Another objector pointed out: “Anyone evicted from the festival for their behaviour will come to our village.”

From the other side, 23 people wrote in support of the current licence, 11 of which were accepted. There were also 31 letters in support of CarFest, specifically, and seven against.

One message to the council in support of CarFest said: “CarFest has been marketed as a family event advertised to, and attended predominantly by, Radio 2 listeners, and I do not believe they will cause any excess nuisance to the surrounding area.”

Once they have considered the evidence, the sub-committee has the choice of modifying, suspending, or revoking the licence, or it can leave it as it is.