Organisers of a summer dance festival at an Angus country estate hope to clear a crucial licensing hurdle today.
The Festival of House is poised to attract 15,000 music fans to Panmure estate on the edge of Carnoustie in June.
But with just 10 weeks to go until the gates open, licensing officials have said crowd management plans and an emergency planning strategy are yet to be finalised and they are demanding answers from festival organisers on safety, stewarding and nuisance controls.
Dance legends Underworld have been announced as one of the headliners on the three-day programme and despite some local opposition to the event, including fears for the safety of those converging on the sprawling woodland site, those behind the festival say it is generating a “huge buzz”.
Angus Licensing Board will today consider an occasional licence application for the June 9 to 11 festival, with drinking hours of 5pm to midnight being sought for the Thursday evening and noon to 12.45am on both Friday and Saturday.
The licensing board referral has been made in light of issues including the authority’s emergency planning unit still awaiting receipt of the final plans for the event.
Sheona Hunter, clerk to the board, said: “I would ask the board to consider how the applicant/organisers are going to address the licensing objectives of prevention of crime and disorder, preventing public nuisance including noise, securing public safety and protecting and improving public health.”
The application reveals plans for five bars across the main arena, including a 350-person capacity cocktail bar and VIP area.
Festival organisers have indicated there will be 150-200 stewards employed during the event.
The report adds: “The organisers have agreed to reduce the licensed hours on the Friday and Saturday evenings to close the bars before the end of performances to assist with a controlled, staged shutdown and clearance of the area.
“A Challenge 25 policy will be implemented at the entrance to the event, at the queue for bars and at the point of sale.
“There will be no glass on site, all drinks will be decanted into plastic containers at point of sale.”UPDATE:
#Carnoustie #FestivalofHouse licensing application branded a "disgrace" by #Angus board chairman Craig Fotheringham Deferred for site visit.
— Graham Brown (@C_GBrown1) March 31, 2016
#Carnoustie #FestivalofHouse boss Craig Blyth says all necessary boxes will be ticked for nxt licensing mtg in May. Event is "on track".
— Graham Brown (@C_GBrown1) March 31, 2016