Organisers of Blue Reef Festival at Linton apply for licence to hold music events on 365 days a year

This weekend sees the return of the two-day Blue Reef Music Festival for its fourth year.

But the organisers of the event held at Loddington Farm in Linton near Maidstone are now seeking to obtain a music licence that will allow them to hold events all year round.

Blue Reef (UK) Ltd has applied to Maidstone council for a licence that would permit the firm to hold music events on any day of the week and all year round.

The licence, for premises known as Unit 5 at Loddington Farm in Loddington Lane, would permit the playing of live and recorded music, both indoors and outdoors, and the selling of alcohol, between the hours of 3pm and 11pm on any day of the week.

The organisers were quick to say that it was not their intention to open every day, nor to sell alcohol at any time other than when there was a music event going on, but they wanted the flexibility to decide when to open.

“We are not a bar open to the public,” they said in their application.

The company, which is run by John Wingate, said: “We are looking to open the premises for occasional outdoor live music evenings.

“The audience should not reach more than 300 people at one time.

“The venue will not be open every day, but more like a few times a month (subject to the weather), but we would like to gain a full premises licence to have the flexibility.

The firm said: “The music won't be played after 11pm and we would like to stress that the venue will be only open when music is being played.

“It is unlikely that we would open Monday to Wednesday, but we would like to keep the flexibility as to when we have a music event on.

“The venue will be more operational during the spring and summer, but very likely not in use in the winter.”

Bosses promised noise from the shows would not be audible “at the facade or any neighbouring noise-sensitive premises.”

Further, the use of pyrotechnics or fireworks that could cause disturbance to neighbours would not be permitted.

However, the company has failed to convince its neighbours.

Denise Geeves, from Heath Road, Boughton Monchelsea, said: “We could hear their music inside our home and in our garden whenever such events have been held in the past.

“We have never objected to those occasional events - but this proposal has the capacity to make our lives a misery.”

“It’s all too vague. If they had applied for a licence for two days a week at the weekend, maybe even with additional occasional extensions over Bank Holidays, that might just have been a reasonable request.

“But if this open-ended application is granted as submitted, it’s a fairly safe bet that we will be listening to their music all afternoon and until 11pm, and then enduring crowds of drunken people exiting the venue, every single afternoon and evening throughout the spring and summer.

“Granting such an open-ended licence would be utterly inappropriate.

“This, after all, is a farm in a rural area.”

Details of the application can be found here, under reference number 24/02474.

Licence applications for the Maidstone area are administered by a partnership acting for Maidstone, Bexley, Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks councils, and are processed at Sevenoaks.

Anyone wishing to comment on the application, should email licensing@sevenoaks.gov.uk and quote the reference 24/02474.

This weekend’s Blue Reef Festival features five stages with 53 acts scheduled to take part over the two days. Tickets cost £135 per adult for the weekend. Many of the music fans stay on site overnight in tents or camper vans.