WICKHAM will have a summer music festival again after an absence of three years.

It could attract up to 5,000 people each day, but some residents and community groups raised concerns.

Both sides met at Winchester Guildhall where the city council’s licensing committee had the final say.

Members heard that the folk festival was held in 2006 and 2007. Some neighbours complained about the noise, and the 2007 arena became a quagmire after heavy rain.

It moved to Stokes Bay in Gosport for 2008 and was also held there last year, with The Zutons and The Saw Doctors headlining.

Organiser, Peter Chegwyn, told the committee: “We moved away, but many of our festival goers and the business community in Wickham wished we hadn’t, and we want to come back.”

While The Levellers are due to headline this summer’s event, Mr Chegwyn said the rest of the bill would be lower key to reduce costs.

“The festival’s licensed for 5,000 people but we’d be delighted if we sold that many tickets. We’re expecting 2,000 to 3,000 each day,” he said.

The event is due to run from Thursday, August 5 to Sunday, August 8, with drinks and live music allowed until 1am each night apart from the first evening.

The main arena would be on fields between Mill Lane and Blind Lane, with a temporary campsite beside it.

Half a dozen neighbours wrote to the city council to object.

One of them, Angela Robinson, said: “I’m not against the festival, but please can all the conditions be really strongly applied.”

She added: “Last time I was given reassurances that various steps would be taken, but they weren’t.”

Wickham Community Association, which runs the community centre nearby, also objected, along with Wickham Summer Playscheme, which uses the building.

Police had raised concerns, but withdrew them after organisers agreed to ID anyone trying to buy alcohol that looked under 21.

Mr Chegwyn added: “There are no fewer than 17 pages of conditions in this report, so I think that should cover any eventualities that are likely to happen.”

The committee, chaired by Cllr Fiona Mather, spent 45 minutes behind closed doors before granting approval.

They added that the organisers had to make a 24-hour phone line available for any residents with noise complaints.

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