A Perthshire couple have launched a sensational legal bid to stop Scotland’s largest music festival from moving to its new home.
Mark and Kim Liddiard have lived in the grounds of Strathallan Castle, where T in the Park is to be held in 2015, for the past eight years.
They were among those stunned to learn that they will become neighbours of the event following DF Concerts’ announcement of the new venue last month.
The couple have called upon the Scottish Government to review the planned move, which they believe has been carried out without any community consultation.
And they have signalled that they are prepared to take the matter all the way to the Court of Session for a judicial review.
Mr Liddiard, 53, and his wife Kim, 56, believe that festival organisers and Perth and Kinross Council have failed to consider the implications of the festival on local wildlife and fish stocks.
Concerns have also been raised by the Liddiards and other residents on the 1000-acre Strathallan Estate about access to the site, the suitability of roads and the fact that planning permission appears not to be required.
DF Concerts will have to apply for detailed licenses to host the event, but do not require planning permission as the event is deemed to last less than 28 days.
Opponents of the switch, including the Liddiards, point out that the “event” could take up to eight weeks to set up and de-commission before and after the festival and should be considered as more than simply the three days of entertainment.
DF Concerts has said that the response from the community to date has been “generally very positive”.
“Strathallan is a fantastic venue and we’re looking forward to going in and building relationships with the community,” a spokesman said.
“We’ve engaged with people who live close to the site and we’ve still got a lot of engagement to do.”
On Sunday, the festival said goodbye to its home of 18 years at Balado, from where it has been forced to move due to safety concerns regarding the presence of a pipeline beneath the site.
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