Eco festival to proceed despite police frustration

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

Plans to hold an eco-friendly festival in a park in Wakefield have been approved.

The event is to take place at Newland Park, near Altofts, despite earlier concerns from police over the potential for crime and disorder.

The Northern Green Gathering will be held between 15 and 18 August after being given the green light during a council meeting on Monday.

It was approved after the event organiser allayed fears raised by West Yorkshire Police.

Martin Coe had applied for a temporary event notice (TEN) but the West Yorkshire force said the application lacked a detailed event management plan or information about security.

Mr Coe produced a 60-page management plan at the meeting which outlined how safety issues would be dealt with.

He apologised to panel members for the late submission of the document, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

He said: “It is a family-friendly event that has been going in some capacity since 1997.

“The event focuses on environmental issues and green campaigns."

The TEN permits up to 499 people to attend the gathering which features talks on environmental issues, workshops, children’s activities, food traders and healing practitioners.

Alcohol will also be served at a bar.

'Frustrating'

Mr Coe said people attending would be issued with wristbands and the event would be staffed by experienced security workers and marshals.

The applicant said festival-goers would be searched on entry and there would be regular patrols of the camping area and car park.

He added: “Anyone suspected of carrying illegal items such as drugs or weapons will be searched by security.

“Anyone behaving in a disorderly way will be evicted from the event."

Police licensing officer PC Toby Warden told the meeting that most of his concerns had been addressed by the management plan.

The officer said it was “frustrating” that he had only been given sight of the document three days before the hearing.

Approving the application, panel members said they “shared the frustrations” of the police but were satisfied measures were in place to prevent crime and disorder.

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