Anger after festival is rejected

Residents of a south Shropshire village hoping to put on a new four-day folk festival have hit out at council bosses who have refused the plans over traffic and public nuisance issues.

Applicant David Morton, of Katie Fitzgerald's pub and music venue in Stourport, applied to South Shropshire District Council (SSDC) last year, for permission to hold two festivals on farmland in Wentnor near Bishop's Castle.

The land at Upper Mill Farm is owned by local farmers, Adrian and Sharon Rowson, who say the majority of villagers were in favour of the festival.

But the council's licensing sub-committee, having considered the application and representations from Mr Morton, West Mercia Constabulary and other parties, have refused the bid. They cited traffic and public nuisance issues as the reasons.

Mr Morton called the decision a "shame and a mistake". He said: "I am very disappointed. It seems new people have moved into the area in the last five years and have taken over and don't want anything fun to go on.

"I will have to discuss with the landowners to see if they want to pursue this. I don't want to create ill-feeling in the village."

Simon Ditton, the council's solicitor, said: "The committee considered that the access and egress to and from the proposed event site presented an unacceptable level of risk to both those attending the event and passing traffic."