Music festival plan for Wirral Rugby Club sparks opposition from residents

Jun 15 2011 by Liam Murphy, Bromborough and Bebington News

A WEEKEND music festival which expects to attract up to 12,000 people later this year is facing a storm of opposition from residents.

The Hudbu Festival would be held at Wirral Rugby Club, near Clatterbridge Hospital, in late September and organisers hope to attract thousands of music fans, with 4,000 camping at the site over the weekend.

But residents have already started petitions opposing the event, according to community leaders, because they fear it will disrupt life in the villages of Thornton Hough and Raby Mere.

A festival spokesman said they were only aware of two objections so far, and were trying to alleviate any issues residents might have with the event.

But Clatterbridge councillors have already submitted a joint objection, led by Cllr Cherry Povall.

She said: “The transport issues are just horrendous for a quiet backwater like this. The people who live near the rugby club are incandescent. Residents are very concerned.

“The festival organisers have not been granted a licence yet, but according to their website they are already selling tickets.”

She said the organisers of the festival had met residents to answer their questions and were “very up-front about the logistics”, but had failed to allay their concerns.

The festival is due to be held over the weekend of September 24 and 25 at the Memorial Fields and dozens of acts have been confirmed, including The Japanese Popstars, Popof and Shlomi Aber.

When he announced the event, Hudbu director Jai Byron said he hoped the festival would boost Wirral’s economy, and said he was holding discussions with the council and police to make it a success so it could possibly continue in future years.

He said: “We are going for acts we wanted to see from other festivals.”

According to its website, Hudbu “aims to offer the ultimate boutique festival experience, with a cocktail of fantastical experiences to titillate all of the senses”.

The site advises potential visitors ample parking is available but there will be a strict parking permit scheme, set up “not only to alleviate the traffic in the local areas but also to promote green initiatives such as liftshare.com”.

It also says shuttle buses will run from Hooton train station.

Tickets, available through the festival website plus high street suppliers, cost from £55 for just the Saturday to £119 for a camping ticket or £195 for a VIP ticket. The website adds: “Event is subject to licence.”

The licence application seeks permission to sell alcohol and hold live music and entertainment to 11pm on Friday and Saturday and 5pm on Sunday, with extensions to 1.30am on Friday and Saturday for the campsite.

The deadline for objections or comments is Wednesday, June 15.