A politician has called for a review of policing in Auchterarder in the wake of the announcement that nearby Strathallan Estate is to be the new home of T in the Park.
Scotland’s biggest music festival will relocate to the 1,000-acre site in 2015 after 18 years at Balado, by Kinross.
For a few days each year that decision will see thousands of revellers descend upon the usually peaceful community.
The impact of Scotland’s largest music festival can be felt for as much as two months at a time, with construction of the site and later clean-up extending its stay.
As a result, Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Liz Smith believes Police Scotland needs to look at how it provides policing locally, both during the festival and during the months of build-up. She has written to Sir Stephen House, Chief Constable of Police Scotland, to ask what consultation will take place to discuss local policing for the event ahead of the move.
The MSP is also calling for a review of the closure of the public counter at Auchterarder Police Station one of a number closed across the country as part of a cost-cutting exercise.
At a meeting of Auchterarder and District Community Council last week, many residents appeared happy to offer the event a warm welcome.
Years of experience have helped the organisers and their partners including the police to minimise its impact upon its current home at Kinross.
Some, however, expressed concerns about how the community would cope with such a large number of visitors.
Others notably those who live on or near to the estate raised worries about anti-social behaviour, drunkenness and drug use.
Ms Smith believes a greater range of community services will require to be available at the local police station to deal with such concerns and with the logistics of staging the festival.
“Every year the T in the Park festival site temporarily becomes the equivalent of the fifth largest town in Scotland over the weekend, and comparable to the largest city centre,” she said.
“This clearly brings with it additional policing issues, with more police stationed and on duty, as well as more visitors arriving and seeking assistance and advice.
“I believe that Police Scotland plans to close the public counter at Auchterarder Police Station should be reviewed, given that the station will likely be used to help manage the local policing of T in the Park if it is moved to Strathallan Castle.”
She added: “It is clear that additional policing will be needed in Auchterarder to manage the future policing of T in the Park at Strathallan Castle and I hope that this will be taken into account at an early stage.”
Police Scotland has announced that there will be public counter provision at Kinross Police Station during the weekend of this year’s final Balado T in the Park.
It said the decision had been taken “due to the huge demands placed on the local community during the event and to provide a point of contact for visitors to the town.”
That will, however, last only for the duration of the event, closing once again thereafter.