Plan to restrict farm’s festivals draws strong response

A Herefordshire festival, event and glamping venue could have its late licence restricted or withdrawn entirely over persistent late-night bass noise which neighbours claim is “torture”.

But around a hundred fans of Out To Grass at Woodend Farm, Cradley near the Worcestershire border have also written to Herefordshire Council urging it to keep the current arrangement, which permits live and recorded music till 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.

The council’s environmental health officer Richard Roberts said in a report that there was “a long history of noise complaints and subsequent investigations and enforcement action” at the farm, where there has lately been “a noted increase in number of events and in development”.

Following noise abatement notices served on the venue last year, Mr Roberts called for conditions on the premises licence to be tightened, including cutting the number of “large” festivals to “e.g. two a year”, with noise management plans to be approved beforehand.

His proposal drew a large number of sharply divided views. Among nine published objections from locals, two described the prolonged late-night noise from the site as “torture”, even at some distance.

Two also said they had received assurances over the noise from venue owner Ian Johnson that had not been acted on, while others complained also of guests’ litter and dogs off leads.

But these were dwarfed by a sheaf of around a hundred submissions in support of the venue, one claiming that “the idea that this venue can be causing a noise nuisance (is) quite preposterous”.

Sound equipment supplier Charlie Elcock added that Out To Grass “is by far the quietest event space I deal with regularly” and warned that “any further restrictions will have a major impact on not only the many crew employed here every year, but on small local businesses such as myself”.

The issue will now be decided by Herefordshire Council’s licensing subcommittee of councillors on March 23.