Four day eco-festival set to return to Wakefield park this summer

Plans are in place to hold the four-day Northern Green Gathering at Newland Park, Wakefield, in August.

The event was held for the first time in the city last year after Wakefield Council gave the go-ahead for the event to take place.

It came after a licensing sub-committee meeting which was held after safety concerns were raised concerns over the event.

At the time, West Yorkshire Police said the festival proposal lacked a detailed event management plan and information about security.

But councillors agreed the event could take place after the event organiser attended the hearing to allay officers’ concerns.

Wakefield Council has received a fresh application for another four-day festival to be held in the same venue, near Altofts, to take place later this year.

The applications seek permission to serve alcohol and play live music indoors and outdoors at Penwood Farm.

The last day to make representations to the council over the proposals is January 7.

Last year’s festival took place between August 15 and 18 after being given the green light by the local authority the previous month.

Event organiser Martin Coe had applied for a temporary event notice (TEN) but police said 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 told the meeting: “It is a family-friendly event that has been going in some capacity since 1997.

“The event focuses on environmental issues and green campaigns.”

The TEN permitted up to 499 people to attend the gathering which featured 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.”

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.

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.