To not understand how this can be allowed without anyone asking local residents?

[treatmelikeamushroom]

Just read a big announcement on our local facebook page saying a 3 day festival with an absolutely enormous capacity is being held on the fields behind my house this summer (my garden backs onto the fields). I don't want to say how big exactly because it's outing (news articles that come up if you google the exact figure) but it's several times bigger than the entire population of the small town I live in! The road access is really bad already and there's really bad traffic that causes hour long delays when the annual county show is held which is only on for 1 day and is a tiny number of people compated to this festival. There's never been anything even approaching this size here before, it's about 10 times the size of any events that the fields have ever held before. It's a fairly small site so to fit in what the organisers say they're fitting in (5 stages including a dance stage run by a very famous nightclub) every scrap of the fields will have to be used right up to the residents garden fences and the noise will be horrific.

But apparently it's a done deal and is all been given the green light by the town council? It's not a busy place at all, it's a very small town and the site has a main road running through the middle of it (so half the fields are on each side of this road) and housing estate running all down one side of it. Usually it's mostly used for just sheep and one or two of the fields (there's about 6 in total) for the small local event like car boot sales or the county show or a classic car show (and those events cause traffic chaos as it is despite being only very small events ) What I don't understand is I walk over those field nearly every day for the school run and there's been no notices about the plans or anything, no local residents have had a chance to see the plans or object or anything. I can't over state how unsuitable a venue this is for what I've read is happening without outing my location but its really really not at all appropriate! Do residents not have to be told or asked about plans for something thjs big and disruptive ??

It’s not just the three days for the OP, it is up to two weeks before and at least one week after of setting up and breaking down, which starts early and ends late. Depending on what time of year it is getting to school, going to work etc

I too live near to creamfields and I HATE it.

The base and general noise is awful and I have triple glazing but due to the farm land between the location the sound travels so easily.

The days running up to the festival are gridlocked night and day traffic wise through Warrington and surrounding areas to the point you just avoid going that way.

I would do everything you could to oppose it.

The added noise / inconvenience and disruption is awful.

Add to that the crime this event will cause in the area will up the statistics and potentially affect your insurance premiums.

Music events generally mean more alcohol / drugs which links to other offences (violence / sexual assaults/ criminal damage / driving under the influence) which makes the area less safe

I don't think I can do anything to oppose it, apparently it's all agreed already, I'm just really surprised this is the first we heard about it. Even when the corner shop wanted to open later on sundays there were notices up about it!

If it’s a one iff just go on holiday and avoid it. But I would speak to your MO and see if there is any indication if the frequency of these events will increase.

It depends how close you are as you may want to stay home to protect your house- for example for the Grand National people literally urinate in the gardens and fall into cars of local residents- if your house backs onto it you don't want people in your garden

We are very close. All that's between us and the site is a garden fence. The site is barely big enough for what's been planned (in fact I actually don't think it is big enough and would really love to see how on earth they propose to fit that number of people/cars/tents/toilets/stages in!) so it will have to use every bit of space so I don't think there can be much if anything of a buffer zone either!

Do not do this. My folks used to run a B&B, about 7 miles from a well known festival, but had to stop taking bookings during the weekend that it's on, due to festival goers taking the absolute p*s. They had people overstaying without paying, trying to abscond without paying, damaging stuff and trying to hide it.... not their usual customer base AT ALL. Most festival attendees are just nice people out to have a nice time, but the small minority of p*s-takers meant it just wasn't worth the hassle having guests in that weekend.

Normally nearby residents get given tickets, flog them, and go away for the weekend while renting their driveway out for spends. That's what normally happens for Isle of Wight festival

Something similar was planned for our village a couple of years ago. The road access would have been totally inadequate. Quite a few residents complained and pointed out the problem with access. It was cancelled. Putting in a complaint and pointing out the road problems and potential for noise issues may, or may not, get you anywhere but you don't know unless you try.

Ignore those saying oh have a wee party in the garden with free music or people complaining your a NIMBY.

I agree she isn’t a NIMBY, @RedFaerieBoots, but having a party in the garden is sensible suggestion. People don’t throw their trash or go for poo in a garden full of people…

The festival is happening whether OP likes it or not so OP’s only choices are go to the festival, go away for the weekend, make money from the festival by letting out rooms or her loo, barricade herself in for the weekend or stay home to keep an eye on her property and do something more fun than trying to watch TV over the sounds of the dance tent eg have a party. Or move house..

If life gives you lemons, you might as well make lemonade (and sell it over the fence at £9 a glass).

I don't know who to complain to though? Or on what grounds, because plenty of comments above seem to think I'm being a nimby and have no right to complain! I think tickets might already have gone in sale so it's not going to be cancelled now anyway.

You need to get your facts straight before you do anything OP. The town council are not a player here. A statutory consultee but not learned people. That’s the licensing authority, start with them perhaps?

We had this. It had its downsides (traffic disruption, undesirables climbing our tree) but was also good fun. Get together with your neighbours and appoint a spokesperson to contact the organisers. Point out how the disruption will impact you and ask for free tickets. We got them for seven local families, adults and children, on the strict proviso that they were only for the named residents and weren't to be sold on or given away. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Noise is a genuine issue. Agree you should contact your district councillor. It may even be it hasn't been officially approved.

Ask the local police and fire service if they have been consulted.

If it's a little smaller than creamfields, someone had applied so,where for permission.

Start with parish council, local councils and go from there. Ask the questions there.

It's hard to give exact answers here, because as you say, different things are different levels.

We are Scotland, shop wanting to extend hours, or service drinks outside, public meeting.

I would guess if radio one wanted to arrive in the village greens we would be told last, after the main council had taken the money and agreed.

Ask questions about funds for tidy up.

Local resident perks.
Restoring to previous condition. What if it's a mud bath?

Well it certainly sounds like it's official, there's been press releases and all that sort of thing. The organisers say all the legalities have been agreed.

You have my sympathies we have almost exactly the same kind of situation here! It’s hellish and a full 7 days where I can’t work and selfish arseholes park outside school from 2pm for an evening event starting at 6pm causing chaos on the country lanes with no pavements that then have primary school aged children having to walk along past these cars as we’ve had to park literal miles away to collect. People toilet in front gardens and the town centre is rammed yet the shops take half the usual takings and there are always pick pocketing and shop lifting occurancies. It’s hell and us residents HATE it but were we ever asked? Hell no as there are millions of pounds to be made for the private company that has the lease of the publicly owned space it’s held on 😡

I had this a couple of years ago where I live. Festival planned on private land. None of the village residents were consulted or aware until advertising started and line up announced. Half the village were up in arms. Half were excited about a festival coming. Tickets went on sale and loads of people bought tickets. Then 3 months later it was cancelled out of the blue saying it wasn't viable to run. It would have caused massive traffic problems and created a somewhat dangerous situation whereby you would have potentially very drunk people walking along a motorway as the entrance/exit was right onto a busy motorway. Not sure how many complained or whether it was the motorway factor but festival was cancelled and everyone refunded. Eventually.

So basically what I'm saying is just because it has been announced doesn't mean it's passed all the red tape or that people can't object.

Oh I don't really know what council does what but I know the town council have said they fully support it and the organiser have said they've got all the legalities agreed (that's their words) so I assumed that means the town council have given it permission? Maybe it's the county council then?

Surely there is someone you can contact at the county council to ask about perimeter security and your house.

So do I, I also pass it to get to work every day even when it’s not on and it’s nowhere near as bad as the local residents would have you believe from their continual moaning. It’s one weekend a year! There’s a bit of extra traffic at certain times, which isn’t rush hour. It’s very easily avoided unless you’re dropping someone off or picking someone up.
If you’re close enough to get the free tickets I’ll buy em off you 😉

@treatmelikeamushroom I would totally share your anxiety and concerns. All the comments on your thread calling you a NIMBY etc would Im fairly certain feel just as you are if this was going to happen at the end of their garden (especially if its only 20m long as yours is - mine is only 10m so even closer to the "fun")
It will also be a lot longer than 3 days - the set up......... the take down....... the clean up etc.

I definitely wouldnt reccomend going away - you will want to be there to protect your house and garden.

One bonus - usually when events like this happen so close to peoples homes, the residents get free tickets etc - so do make sure you get the perks as well as the hassle. It might even momentarily turn out to be fun........ sort of!

I went to a gig at a large castle with huge grounds. Very well run with coaches, etc. However we had to drive along residential roads in the village . I was thinking about what a nightmare it must be to have cars and buses reving outside your house until at least 1am. And the worst part is that for the summer it is almost every weekend and some weekdays .

Funny I live 5 minutes walk from creamfields site and I don’t see any of this.
Yeah you can hear the music, but it’s one weekend a year. I usually sit out and enjoy it. Traffic aside from one road is fine and you can easily avoid it. If you’ve been down the expressway any time in the last month the traffic is worse currently than when creamfields is on due to the roadworks!

It has no effect on my insurance premiums either and I’ve not seen any crime or antisocial behaviour associated with the event. Usually just lots of dirty kids with no shoes looking knackered in McDonald’s when it finishes