Cancelled festival will move to Wales next year

10:20pm Thursday 21st August 2008

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ORGANISERS of the cancelled Rock'n'Roots Festival at Much Marcle will stage the 2009 festival in Wales, while deciding to press ahead with a High Court battle against Herefordshire Council.

The Ledbury area has lost the prospect of a new annual music festival to Chepstow Racecourse.

Herefordshire Council refused to grant a licence for the planned Rye Meadows event because it said the application had not been advertised correctly according to the law, and contained an inadequate risk assessment.

Top acts booked included The Animals, Jefferson Starship and Marillion.

Festival organiser Mike Stephens said: “We will try to set a precedent through our legal team and ensure that this legal farce, from last week in Herefordshire, cannot happen to any other event organiser.”

He added: “We are back next year, fully licensed already, at Chepstow Meadows, at the racecourse.”

Mr Stephens urged music lovers to support the 2009 festival and “prove to the fickle killjoys of the world that these events are respectable and fun”.

Refunds for 2008 are being handled through the points of purchase, including Ledbury TIC.

Around 2,000 tickets out of 5,000 had been sold.

Organisers attempted an eleventh-hour switch to the racecourse, with special buses laid on from Ledbury for the bank holiday weekend.

But with major bands pulling out, including Marillion, Mr Stephens decided to cancel.

Ken Davies, chairman of the Ledbury Tourist Association, said he would raise the issue at the group’s next meeting, adding: “I think it is sad when these things happen.”

Herefordshire councillor John Jarvis, cabinet member for the environment said: “We were dismayed that this promoter left everything to the last minute, did not listen to advice and ended up letting down so many people, including ticket holders, the bands and local businesses.”

Many local residents will welcome news that the festival will not return to their doorsteps next year.

Herefordshire Council received 60 letters of objection concerning the licence application for Rye Meadows.

Much Marcle resident Eric Ward said: “Had the decision gone the other way, consideration would have been given to the battery of objections put forward by local residents, including noise, disorder, pollution, alcohol abuse, drugs, crime and traffic danger.”

The cancellation of an event based largely on camping on site appears to have had little impact on the local economy.

Lynda Morgan of Bodenham Farm in Much Marcle reported that she’d only had once cancellation for her bed and breakfast business, for one night only.