T in the Park boss Geoff Ellis has tabled his bid for this summer’s festival, showing a radical overhaul of traffic and security arrangements.
Big-name acts such as the Stone Roses and Red Hot Chilli Peppers have already been confirmed for July’s music extravaganza in the grounds of Strathallan Castle.
But the show can only go ahead if it secures a public entertainment licence from Perth and Kinross Council. Local authority chiefs heavily criticised festival promoters DF Concerts over chaos at last year’s festival.
Environment service director Barbara Renton even threatened to pull the plug on the event, unless organisers could prove there won’t be a repeat of mistakes which left thousands of revellers stranded for several hours in traffic queues. Many more were forced to walk through dark country roads to reach pick-up points.
Now DF Concerts has submitted its application for a new public entertainment licence.
The dossier, which runs to hundreds of pages, outlines a series of major improvements to travel arrangements and staffing issues.
One of the biggest changes this year will be a large-scale bus station, similar to the one used at the Glastonbury festival.
Fans will be actively encouraged to make their way to the site by bus, via Loaninghead on the A9. Drivers will be urged to switch off their sat-navs and stick to dedicated car lanes.
Several routes around the showground will be shut and the council may have to make changes to local bus services over the weekend.
Despite requests, DF Concerts has ruled out setting up a park and ride facility. The company said it considered the move which proved successful during the Ryder Cup but said it would lead to problems at the bus station.
In his “statement of intent” to council officers, Mr Ellis said: “We always strive to create a fun-filled, enjoyable safe weekend for everyone and my whole team is focussed on making… a festival that we can all be proud of once again.”
DF Concerts has also pledged to improve communications and briefings with stewards and other staff. The site lay-out will also be changed.
On Monday and Tuesday, drop-in sessions will be held in Aytoun Hall, Auchterarder, and Muthill Parish Church, between 7pm and 9pm, to give residents the chance to view the new arrangements.