A South Cumbrian music festival is set to go ahead next month, despite local opposition.
Around 5,000 people are expected to attend the Coast Roads Festival at Aldingham, near Ulverston, on July 9 and July 10. Headliners will include The Coral and Everything Everything.
It was given the go-ahead to sell alcohol and host live music by South Lakeland District Council’s licensing sub-committee after members deliberated for more than an hour.
They had heard from locals during the meeting at Kendal Town Hall, who said the location was unsuitable, feared traffic issues and that the event would cause anti-social behaviour.
Paul Marsh, of the nearby village of Baycliff, said people crossing over the A5087 coast road between the festival site and the car parks would cause chaos.
“I think it’s a very poor choice of location,” he said. “Our local council has actually put in speed calming measures along the coast road to slow down traffic. It becomes a racecourse between March and October.”
But Andrew Graham, co-director of The Lock In, which is organising the event, defended the safety measures set to be put in place.
“We have got taxis, buses and car parking,” he said. “There will be no pedestrian access to the site. We have actually gone above and beyond police’s recommendation for number of marshals.”
Objectors expressed reservations about the ability of festival staff to have crowds off the site by midnight – with music to finish at 11pm.
Peter Smith, of Aldingham, said: “Even the military would struggle to take 5,000 people within an hour.”
Organisers said the audience is expected to disperse throughout each evening, with staggered stage and tent finishing times, but Mr Graham conceded the midnight target might be subject to change.
Helen Gunning, who lives in Scales, near Aldingham, said residents living near the festival site had previously been promised legal documentation protecting them against any damage that might be caused by festival-goers.
Malcolm Lingard, co-director of The Lock In, said: “If there’s any damage caused by anyone at the festival, we will of course reimburse.”
The licensing sub-committee granted a licence for the sale of alcohol, the performance of live music and the playing of recorded music (inside a tent) between noon and 11pm each day.
This was subject to a number of conditions, including the newly added stipulation that CCTV be put in place at the festival.
