Police object to plans for four-day eco-festival

The four-day event would take place on fields in Newland Park

Plans for an eco-friendly festival in a West Yorkshire park should be rejected amid concerns about crime and disorder, police have said.

The four-day Northern Green Gathering is set to take place from 15-18 August in Newland Park, Wakefield.

Organisers have applied to the council for a temporary event notice (TEN) which includes serving alcohol and playing live and recorded music.

West Yorkshire Police said the festival proposal lacked a detailed event management plan and information about security.

'Family gathering'

A council licensing sub-committee will consider the application at a hearing later, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

The festival is described as a “small, off-grid, family gathering with a focus on environmental issues and sustainability.”

Its organisers have been approached for comment by the BBC.

If the event gets the go-ahead, it would feature talks on environmental issues, workshops, children’s activities, food traders and healing practitioners.

The event would take place in two fields central to the Newland Park estate, near Altofts, with Newland Lane used as a public entrance.

Birkwood Road would be used as an entrance for crew, artists, traders and emergency vehicles.

'Scaled down'

Documents submitted to the council claim previous similar events have been held at Ashbourne, in Derbyshire, and at Coningsby, Lincolnshire

It describes the Newland Park gathering as a “scaled down version” of previous events “with a view to obtaining a full premises licence and expanding the event next year".

PC Toby Warden has objected to the scheme on behalf of West Yorkshire Police.

In his letter of objection, he said: “The application would allow the premises to operate for the sale of alcohol, provision of regulated entertainment and provision of late-night refreshment for a 50-hour period with no control measures in place to promote licensing objectives.

“The applicant states that there will be a maximum number of 499 people at any one time, but nothing to say how it will be controlled.

PC Warden said the application lacked a detailed event management plan or information about security.

The officer added: “It is the firm belief of West Yorkshire Police that to grant this TEN would undermine the crime and disorder objective.”

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