A NEIGHBOUR to the site of a Purbeck music festival has complained that the event has become “a running sore” for those living nearby.

He has objected to adding an extra day to the July Reggae Festival at Wilkswood Farm, Langton Matravers.

A Dorset Council licensing panel heard from Mr Ian Vaughan-Arbuckle, the nearest neighbour to the site, who claimed that previous events had kept people awake until the early hours and he saw no need for an extra day to be added to the three-day event.

Neither Dorset Police or the Environmental Health team had objected to the application for the additional day, previous events having been run without incident.

The panel heard that the fourth day had previously been added, without complaint, using a Temporary Event Notice, but this year the organisers, Bournemouth-based Hardway Promotions Ltd, wanted to include the Thursday on the main licence for the July 21st to 23rd event at the Valley Road site.

One of the two directors, Mr Aron Traynor, said that the extra day was wanted to allow local people to come along and also to enable those who wanted access to the site a day earlier to set up camp, helping to ease the traffic flow on the Friday.

The event has been run at the farm since 2019 with main stage music generally stopping at midnight and with a 2,500 limit imposed by the organisers, who describe the event as “family friendly” with plenty of activities for youngsters.

Mr Vaughan-Arbuckle asked for assurances that residents be given telephone numbers to contact the organisers in the event of problems. He said that system had worked well in the past, along with more active sound monitoring, but both things seemed to have lapsed.

“Last year people telephoned the Police about the noise after midnight because it was the only way they could get in touch,” he said, adding that he was not against the event, but believed organisers could be more considerate towards neighbours and improve their communication.

“If only they were reasonable we would not be here today. It’s got to the point where it is unbearable. Noise beyond midnight is not acceptable in this day and age.

“A lot of are elderly and go to bed early and the festival had become a running sore with them,” he said.

Mr Traynor said the organisers had not been contacted by the Police, or anyone else, and said that events were usually finished by 1am although they could continue longer under the licence conditions, with the music volume being gradually reduced from 9pm onwards.

“We are proud of how we operate and pay attention to detail,” he said.

The licensing panel will announce its decision on the proposal to add the extra day to the existing licence within five working days of the Thursday hearing.