A councillor wants the organiser of Scotland’s largest eco-festival to reconsider the decision to shelve the event.
Howe of Fife councillor David MacDiarmid said he was “shocked but not surprised” at news the Big Tent Festival has been scrapped because it had grown “too big” and was a “victim of its own success”.
But he believes the festival, which was held on Falkland Estate since 2006, could still have had a future, given the chance.
Mr MacDiarmid told The Courier: “I supported the Big Tent from day one.
“Perhaps I became part of the success of the Big Tent because I came for the whole package, like thousands of others who came to eat, drink and be entertained.
“Let’s make no bones about it, though, most of us took in the eco/sustainability issues as well.
“I would urge the Falkland Centre for Stewardship to reconsider and take a long, hard look at what a success the Big Tent had become the dozens of Fifers who worked their socks off at the event, including many locals, and the businesses in the village that must have benefited financially as well.
“But most importantly for me, we opened the door to thousands of visitors to one of the most beautiful parts of Scotland and educated adults and children alike in what is possible in this fragile planet of ours.”
Howe of Fife councillor Andy Heer also expressed disappointment.
“It was a great environmental exposition, providing an opportunity for people to learn about environmental issues and solutions,” he said.”
“I’m not sure that it brought much direct benefit to Falkland on the Big Tent weekend, it was just a little bit too far out of town for people to pop along to the shops or pubs and there was a Co-op shop on-site at the last Big Tent, which attracted some criticism from local traders.
“However it put the area on the map and I’m sure that many people who came to Big Tent came back on other occasions to walk or cycle or to explore the town, so overall it was a benefit to Falkland and the surrounding area.”
Howe of Fife councillor Donald Lothian said: “It was clear to me the huge effort over many months beforehand, as well as during the festival itself, put in by a limited number of people to make the event happen was so great that it was unsustainable.
“There were also issues with regard to the management of traffic and people in a relatively confined area ,which also resulted in additional effort and expense. A sad day, nevertheless.”
The Courier reported that there will be no Big Tent Festival in 2014 or for the foreseeable future.
The organiser, Falkland Centre for Stewardship, is focusing on a series of events and activities that will unfold across the year.
While funding was still available, organisers said it was becoming increasingly difficult to raise enough money due to its growing scale and popularity.
There was also a feeling that the scale was increasingly at odds with its eco-credentials.