A WARRINGTON councillor has expressed concern over proposals to add another day to the controversial Creamfields music festival next year.
Cllr Paul Kennedy, leader of the Conservative Group on the borough council and representative for the Hatton, Stretton and Walton ward, has written to Halton Borough Council’s licensing committee, who are responsible for licensing the event at Daresbury.
He says he has been contacted by worried residents who fear they are likely to have to experience inconvenience and disturbance for an additional day.
Cllr Kennedy (pictured) said: “Slow but sure the event is getting ever longer.
“As I recall, the event originally opened on a Saturday morning and closed on the Monday morning.
“Then, since festival goers were turning up on the Friday, the event extended to the Friday, and now, presumably because festival goers are turning up on a Thursday, the Licence request is to open the site from 6am on the Thursday and to commence the entertainment at 5pm.
“lf the licence is granted, the site will then be open to the public from 6am on the Thursday to 2pm on the Monday.
“I and local residents are asking for clarity and honesty from Cl Events (organisers of festival), as to what is their ultimate plan for this event.
“Is it that they want a week-long event? And will we have the situation that once the Thursday opening comes in to effect, festival goers will arrive on the Wednesday…and Cl Events will seek a Licence to open on the Wednesday, and so it goes on?
“lf Cl Events want a week-long festival, they should make such an application now, and if they don’t, they should formally advise the committee that they will not be seeking any further changes to the licence with regards to its opening hours.
“Long suffering residents deserve that clarity and I hope that the committee will provide that for them.”
Part of the festival site lies within the Hatton, Stretton and Walton ward and noise from the event is regularly heard over a wide area of South Warrington.
