To think Creamfields organisers should have some consideration?

[whywonthedgehogssharethehedge]

All day today has been accompanied by an uber annoying thumping techno base. I can't open my windows as its so loud and this kind of music gives me headaches. I thought it was my neighbours teenager. On further investigation it appears to be Creamfields. We live 5.5 miles from the festival site. Friends as far away as 7-8 miles can also hear it.

Local fb pages are full of people complaining. Police have told us they can't do anything as Creamfields have "a license to play music until 4am" It went a touch quieter at 11 when the main stages shut off but I can still hear it. It fades every so often then thumps back just enough to disturb me.

AIBU in thinking that their license should not allow them to disrupt everyone within an 8 mile radius until 4am?

I'm also pretty sure they are pumping out a volume that way exceeds safe levels. Have complained to noise department but it doesn't look like they will do anything.

I have lived in my current house for 4 years. I've never had issues like this before. We have heard occasional bits but nothing like this. It's insanity.

[StubbleTurnips]

OP we used to live in Walton, half a mile from creamfields.

Get over it. And I honestly doubt it can be heard 8 miles away, the lay of the land wouldn't enable that to really happen. There was an illegal rave being held just west of Salford last night so that may account for friends that way.

[Advicepls7080]

It's only on till 4am on the Saturday the Sunday it's 11 and I think Friday is 11pm

If they have a license till 4am there's not much you can do and it's every year and has been in your area since 2006? I think

[Advicepls7080]

Also you can barely hear the music as you're walking away from the festival to get a taxi so not sure why you can hear it so much

[FiveGoMadInDorset]

Local economy does quite well here.

Festival goers leave to use shops and pubs, B&Bs do well anyway as its in August but some of the dodgier ones get filled up, set up is two weeks, break down is a week so that's 3 weeks of on site workers heading to shops and pubs, taxis only no put on festival transport between station and sight. WI have a massive tea tent, local farmers market has a tent

[PatMustardsBigTool]

It did seem much louder last night than it has before, but I think it must be the weather. We live about the same distance away now as you do and could hear it so much louder and clearer than my relatives who live 1/2 mile away (where we also used to live and pre-dated CF), that's not happened before.
For 1 weekend you really are BU. Anyway it's Calvin Harris tonight I think, might be better than Eric Prydz

[FiveGoMadInDorset]

And music from our house very much depends on the weather but can be heard up to 5 miles away

[whywonthedgehogssharethehedge]

I'm irrational because I'm jetlagged as well but it still pisses me off. It will start up again shortly and doesn't finish until tomorrow.

I know it's because it's still but I think that after 11 when the main stages shut down turning slightly down the rest of it would be considerate since its audible almost 10 miles away.

[GraceGildee]

I live six miles away and could still hear it through earplugs. I used to love a festival so I don't mind but I do feel sorry for older people living closer. It seemed to be much louder this year.

[Advicepls7080]

The main stages on a Saturday definitely don't finish at 11 their headliner starts at midnight

[Freshprincess]

I'm about 5 miles away and it was really noisy last night, though much quieter after 11, with the windows shut I couldn't hear anything. Loads of complaints on FB. I know people who live right next to the site and they go away most years.

I'm hoping the wind is blowing the right way later when Calvin Harris is on.

[NNChangeAgain]

And yes, they will listen. Good organisers, the ones that last, know the value of local support. It might not seem that way if you are not involved though. They do look isolated, insular!

Oh, I am involved, in one of the largest, and longest running in the country.

My experience is very different to yours. It has a 20+ year license, the organiser has gradually bought up all the land, and prices for pitches inside are way too high for local traders. Hundreds of travelling businesses descend on the site, rake in as much as they can, and then leave again. There is absolutely no way that the locals can negotiate because they've got no leverage. A few enterprising local residents rent out their driveways or sell water from their front gardens.

Traffic management and shuttle bus services are contracted to outside companies, and stewards and recruited from national agencies. Not even the local police get extra hours out of it - the force brings in officers in from elsewhere in the county so that the local officers remain on their usual shifts for the locals.

There may be festivals that bring positives to the local economy, but not all of them, by any means.

[OurBlanche]

That sounds horrendous NNChangeAgain

Maybe I should just be really happy to live where I do, that the local festivals are mainly rooted in the community

Then again (outing my geography maybe) there is a Swingers one that sneaks in locally! That seems to raise eyebrows... and, of course, none of the locals are involved in that!!!!

[FiveGoMadInDorset]

Apart from WI and farmers market tent there are no local stalls/food outlets/shops

[jacks11]

We have a couple of festivals in the local area, only one within hearing distance though. It can be loud and it is annoying.

I get why PP are saying "it's only one weekend" a year, and in the grand scheme of things I suppose you're right but it can be a complete pain. When you can't get to sleep and children woken up and grumpy too, it's not a particularly pleasant way to pass a weekend. Some people work at weekends and having broken sleep isn't ideal.

I have to say from our local experience that the money brought into the local economy isn't as much as people think. Obviously the venue has a source of regular income, which for some of them is pretty vital, and there may be increased business for some bus operators and outdoor catering firms (though think use of local in both transport and catering is becoming less common). Most of the stewards etc are casual workers, often bussed in.

Many people arrive in their cars (or dropped off by parents in some cases) with food, drinks etc in tow. Those who are bussed in usually arrive with most of their supplies. So they don't buy that much from local shops. If they do, it will usually be from Tesco or one of the supermarkets. There may be some festival goers who use B&Bs or hotels but most camp.

Traffic is awful, its an absolute nightmare and exacerbated by the fact the roads around here are relatively rural roads, not really designed to cope with that level of traffic. As a result the number of locals out and about is reduced and this can negatively impact on local businesses. I have been told by one local restaurant/pub owner locally that business dips the weekend of the festival. Could be isolated to our area though.

I used to work in medical admissions at the nearest hospital- we used to have to get extra staff on to cover A&E and medical admissions because of the extra admissions. We used to dread it, was an absolute pain.

Festivals have their benefits and I'm certainly not suggesting they should be banned or anything, but they are not universally beneficial to everyone locally. Some festival organisers and festival goers could take that into consideration.

[Cheby]

We are vaguely local to Creamfields, and there are a lot more complaints about noise on social media this year. We aren't close enough to hear or be disturbed by it, but I do think there must be some thorn different this year given the amount of people (in very different groups) talking about it on FB.

Why do they get a license until 4am anyway? Most festivals are midnight, aren't they?

[Advicepls7080]

Just had a little look at my mums Facebook and people in St Helens have even complained about the music

I apologise it must have been ridiculously loud this year

[CrazyNameCrazyGuy]

Ear plugs I'm afraid.

Possibly the geography of where Creamfields is held adds to the music carrying further? I know my son went one year and it was badly flooded so they stopped people arriving. Not sure if they'd changed sites since then though.

I agree, irritating as it is it's once a year. I used to live in Ascot and when it was Royal Ascot week I would go and stay with friends/family or book a holiday as it was utter chaos. You have to work round the situation in one way or another.

Imagine what it's like close to the festival site. Not only the music but the interminable traffic all weekend!

[JacquesHammer]

I really feel for you OP. We have a very new festival that happens near us - we predate it as someone made this point earlier - and its hideous.

It was ostensibly started as a "community event", local residents got free entry on the Friday evening and then it was a paid event on Saturday and Sunday.

Its now massive, no free passes for locals, sweeping road closures the council have agreed to.

They use local bus companies. They use petrol stations.Possibly some will use mechanics. They use local shops, supermarket's and restaurants. They use local b and bs and hotels

No they don't. There are free park and ride buses from all camping sites and the local train station is within walking distance. Literally 3 minutes walk. The local shops shut up for the weekend because they're so sick of having their windows smashed through, being abused by drunk festival goers.

The festival takes place in teh local park. Once the date has passed areas of the park are so wrecked they become unsuable.

Living next to a festival isn't a "one weekend a year, suck it up" type of thing. Its horrid and affects the community way after

[CrazyNameCrazyGuy]

On the plus side, it was only Saturday that had a late music licence. Tonight it's supposed to finish at 11 pm, same as Friday.

[Faithless]

My friend lives very near to the Creamfields site. She goes away every year for the weekend it is on, mostly because of the traffic. She's had some lovely Spa weekends by all accounts, and is currently sunning herself somewhere in Spain.
I'd follow her example if I were you.

[BrianCoxReborn]

I live in Orford (so the other side of town to Creamfields) and have heard it in years past, but a low dull thud rather than full on music.

We drove down past on the...A56? Into town from a day out in Delamere, on Friday. It was nice to see the level of organisations , a specially built temporary foot bridge to keep pedestrians off the road, individually placed security guards outside each house (there are beautiful mansion houses that are metres from the road that faces the festival), and what looked like private police security everywhere.

I do think the local economy does well. One year it was rained off and Stockton Heath was filled with zombie-esque, mud-covered teens looking for food

Also there's a shuttle ride from the bus station in town so the festival goers arriving on train/bus have town at their disposal.

OP, I think you just have to suck it up I'm afraid. Although if enough complaints are received it will be reviewed in the post-festival meetings.

[WaitroseCoffeeCostaCup]

Reading town centre on festival weekend would suggest a LOT of money goes into the local economy, actually!

[dogparkingbus4x4wanker]

Has anyone else seen reported on the news that a young man has died at cream fields? So sad.

[JacquesHammer]

Reading town centre on festival weekend would suggest a LOT of money goes into the local economy, actually

Sadly what is true for a larger town like Reading absolutely isn't for the very small town where the festival is here

[BikeGeek]

Reading is quite unusual in that it's easy walking distance to the town centre.

It's the only festival I've been to where we've gone off site. Although not sure that using the loos in McDonalds is putting much into the local economy!