Gas pipeline proximity fears forced organisers of a planned Angus two-day dance music festival into an immediate rethink over a site close to the main Dundee to Aberdeen road.
Days after the ambitious proposals for the Festival of House event next summer were revealed, two of the three possible locations being considered by organisers have emerged.
One is near Brechin and the other close to Carnoustie.
Jigsaw Events and Management Ltd, Red Pepper Events and the Rhumba Club are behind the project to create the two-day event which they hope will bring 15,000 dance fans to the area.
They have now started the planning process with early submissions to Angus Council for Stracathro Airfield, just south of the A90 and a site at Panmure Estate, Carnoustie.
However, the Health and Safety Executive said the proposed Stracathro site would run within the hazard zone for the Aberdeen to Kirriemuir gas pipeline.
They said: “The proposed development, which lies within the consultation distance of a major hazard pipeline has been considered…based on the information which you have provided. Consequently, HSE does advise against, on safety grounds, the granting of planning permission in this case.”
A similar situation led the promoters of the T in the Park festival to move from their well-established Balado site near Kinross to Strathallan Castle.
That is now under scrutiny after a weekend which saw traffic chaos in and around the new venue at an event also blighted by the death of a festival-goer.
The early objection to the new Angus proposal forced the organisers into a quick redrawing of the possible site map, leading to the safety fears being allayed.
A Festival of House spokesman said: “We have since redrawn our plans to comply with the required consultation zones to ensure that we would be operating the whole event outwith 305m from the centre of the pipeline.
“We have been working closely with Angus Council and HSE.
“Having submitted our redrawn plans to Angus Council, HSE have confirmed that they would not need to be consulted as the proposals fall outwith the 305m buffer zone.”