Four-day eco-festival plan approved after organiser allays crime and disorder concerns

Councillors gave the go-ahead for the event to take place at Newland Park, near Altofts, despite concerns raised by police over the potential for crime and disorder.

The Northern Green Gathering will be held between August 15 and 18 following a licensing sub-committee meeting on Monday.

Event organiser Martin Coe attended the hearing to allay West Yorkshire Police concerns.

The force objected to the granting of a temporary event notice (TEN), saying the application lacked a detailed event management plan or information about security.

Mr Coe produced a 60-page management plan at the meeting which outlined how safety issues would be dealt with.

He apologised to panel members for the late submission of the document.

He said: “It is a family-friendly event that has been going in some capacity since 1997.

“The event focuses on environmental issues and green campaigns.

“We welcome people of all ages and cultures. We have a diverse network of people who discuss sustainable ways of living and we have music and a bar as well.”

The TEN permits up to 499 people to attend the gathering which features talks on environmental issues, workshops, children’s activities, food traders and healing practitioners.

Mr Coe said people attending would be issued with wristbands and the event would be staffed by experienced security workers and marshals.

The applicant said festival-goers would be searched on entry and there would be regular patrols of the camping area and car park.

He added: “Anyone suspected of carrying illegal items such as drugs or weapons will be searched by security.

“Anyone behaving in a disorderly way will be evicted from the event.

“It is very unlikely that this will happen at one of our events but we do account for all eventualities.”

Councillors were also told that there would be a welfare and first aid tent and a lost child policy would be in place.

The management plan also included evacuation procedures in the event of a flood or fire.

Previous similar events have been held on a larger scale at Ashbourne, in Derbyshire, and at Coningsby, Lincolnshire.

Mr Coe explained: “We have never used this site before so we have decided to lower the numbers.”

Police licensing officer PC Toby Warden told the meeting that most of his concerns had been addressed by the management plan.

The officer said it was “frustrating” that he had only been given sight of the document three days before the hearing.

PC Warden said the event was first advertised on Facebook nine months ago.

He added: “Our basic concern is why it took so long to get all the information through when they have known the event is going to go ahead since October 2023.”

Approving the application, panel members said they “shared the frustrations” of the police but were satisfied measures were in place to prevent crime and disorder.