Organisers of a planned Angus summer dance festival have been branded a “disgrace” over their bid to secure a booze licence for the open-air event.
The Festival of House hopes to attract 15,000 music fans to the Panmure estate, near Carnoustie in June.
But Angus licensing board members unanimously deferred their occasional licence application after condemning the absence of a properly prepared crowd management plan and submission of an eleventh hour alcohol management strategy.
Board chairman Councillor Craig Fotheringham told the Festival of House representatives: “I think it is an absolute disgrace to present us with this at such short notice and it is just not good enough.”
Licensing board members will now carry out a visit to the planned site, where five bars including a 350-person capacity cocktail bar and VIP area are planned in the festival arena.
The Festival of House now faces a crunch licensing board meeting in May when both the occasional licence application and the crucial public entertainment licence will be up for consideration just a month before the festival gates are due to open.
Festival of House director Craig Blyth said there were “no surprises” at the outcome of the meeting.
“We are looking forward to May 12 for both applications to be heard,” he said, describing the event as remaining “on track”.
See Friday’s edition of The Courier for full details of the licensing board meeting.