A farm has been given the green light to host concerts throughout the summer in what the manager hails as a “great win for live music.”

The bid for events at Loddington Farm near Linton, which already hosts a festival, received 13 objections, but Maidstone Borough Council voted to grant the licence.

Blue Reef (UK) Ltd., which hosts the annual Blue Reef Festival, applied for a licence for events at the farm in July.

The application originally would have allowed them to host music events any day of the year but were planning on only doing so from April - October.

John Wingate, who runs the company by himself, admitted in a licensing meeting on August 21 that the application was “vague.”

“We’re looking at probably a music event once a month from April to October, if that. So I think maybe the wording of the application is probably a bit vague.”

Mr Wingate has been running events at the farm, where he rents one of the units and surrounding land for live music, since 2021.

Every time he has wanted to host one of these events he’s had to apply for a Temporary Events Notice. He told the licensing committee this application was to avoid having to do this.

He also stressed that they were not seeking to open round the clock, saying: “I couldn’t imagine anything worse than trying to open seven days a week and having 300 people turn up.”

Mr Wingate explained that he plans to hold open mic nights on Thursdays in addition to more established acts on Saturdays.

Prior to the meeting, Kent Police had written a representation to the council to say “there have been no issues with crime and disorder” since the venue opened in 2013.

However, 13 residents wrote in prior to object, some thinking the venue would indeed be open round the clock.

“It is difficult to think of a more inappropriate development in this relatively quiet area,” L.H Malthouse wrote on the planning application.

“I can think of nothing worse than being subjected to live music eight hours a day seven days a week.

“Sound pollution is a major nuisance causing considerable stress. One is entitled to the quiet enjoyment of your home and garden without loud music blaring out, and is unthinkable for such extended periods,” they added.

Bradley Older wrote in fearing “people 'staggering' back home very loud with colourful language” from the events.

At the licensing meeting, Cllr Trzebinski said: “From what we see on emails there seem to be a lot of people walking around the roads half-cut.”

However, Mr Wingate argued: “That’s a whole site issue rather than my business in particular.”

As well as being a fruit farm, the site hosts the Musket Brewery & Taproom.

Pavla Havel, assistant to the farm’s owner, told the committee that the site has space for 800 cars to park.

The licensing committee decided to grant a licence for no more than 12 events a year only on Wednesdays to Saturdays inclusive, not counting the annual festival, and allowing them to serve alcohol until 11pm.

Live and recorded music did not specifically need to be mentioned on the granted licence, as such events do not require licences unless they host 500 or more people.

Speaking after the permission was granted, Mr Wingate told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “There’s music venues closing faster than they’re opening, we’re a new venue, and it’s just purely to give a space for live musicians to come and play.

“It’s a great win for live music.

“It is purely a passion project – if it was about doing it for money I’d definitely go and find something easier to do.

“It’s a lot of planning and it actually sometimes costs me money to put these events on, it’s like a hobby.”

Mr Wingate and the farm’s owners will now need to see if they need a change of use planning application for the land before they can consider hosting events more regularly.