Proposed Changes to the Licence

[eFestivals]

i know its an extra cost...but the main reason for the traffic last year was accidents....

no it wasn't. There was a 10 mile queue before the gates opened, without any accidents having caused that queue. There was nothing like that queue-wise the year before.

The reason for the traffic last year was the festival advertising itself as starting on the wednesday - that caused everyone to turn up on the wednesday.

[eFestivals]

also, im positive that is a logistics problem....manchester united can have 80,000 people in and out in 4 hours.....

im sure its the roads...but surely some lessons could be taken from how big stadiums can handle te traffic...

The roads around the festival site can only carry a certain number of vehicles in any hour. No study of anything can alter that.

[Pinhead]

The reason for the traffic last year was the festival advertising itself as starting on the wednesday - that caused everyone to turn up on the wednesday.

[srvman]

opening the gates tuesday at 3 am would solve the problem of all the crazy diehard be first in lot...set speed restrictions to deal with a large number of people travelling on back roads at night, and would stagger the effect....

opening the gates at 8 am, does no good to anyone, including the local community, making rush hour a nightmare..

[Celtic bhoy]

also, im positive that is a logistics problem....manchester united can have 80,000 people in and out in 4 hours.....

im sure its the roads...but surely some lessons could be taken from how big stadiums can handle te traffic...

[lord stradmor]

Of course just because the festival has applied for a licvence to open the gates at 9pm, doesn't mean they are actually going to tell people - "its fine to turn up at 9pm."

They might say "The car park will open at 2am, don't bother turning up before then." and have the 9pm opening time built in ion case of emergencies, just like building the extra decibel limit into the licence, just in case.

An earlier opening time on the licence just gives them freedom of movement.

[eFestivals]

Could the effect be the similar if the festival advertises itself as being happy for drivers to turn up on a Tuesday evening?

I doubt it.

Turning up on Tuesday evening (if confirmed as allowed) doesn't get you into the festival on Tuesday evening.

So there'd be no need for everyone to try to turn up on the dot for a specific time, as was the case with both the car parks and the gates opening at the same time.

[denwyn]

f**king hell....leave it as it is

[Dave F.]

Its not online, because its such a huge document and putting it up would probably crash the council server.

Edited January 8, 2010 by Dave F.

[bunchy]

I thought there was a legal requirement to publish online now.

My job is putting Agendas and Minutes on the website for the Council in my area and yes, they have to publish online except when it is a Part II Pink Item which means that those details are not to be veiwed by the press or public...so it could have been are Part II item on the Agenda.

Edited January 9, 2010 by bunchy

[paulo999]

The Police said they normally get 40,000 on the Wednesday, but last year they got 90,000

So even without accidents there would have been much more traffic. I think that the weather forecast will have prompted some of it too. They were consistently saying that anyone wanting sun should get down there early.

There's another thing about the traffic that I'm speculating, specificaly the A37 from Bristol. As more and more people use satnav, that route is going to get steadily worse. For any departure point north of Birmingham, the calculated route will be straight through Bristol and down. The road just can't cope with that.

[Dave F.]

There's another thing about the traffic that I'm speculating, specificaly the A37 from Bristol. As more and more people use satnav, that route is going to get steadily worse. For any departure point north of Birmingham, the calculated route will be straight through Bristol and down. The road just can't cope with that.

[paulo999]

I'm a bit confused by the description of the new access route. The Shepton show ground is adjacent to the A371 not the A37. If they are coming from the A371 how would they cross the A37? And if they mean the A37, hasn't there always been a metal track road running along side Pyle?

Does anyone have a link to the newspaper report?

Cheers

Dave F.

[Guest]

Last year the police, via Worthy FM were telling motorist to turn off their Satnavs, partially due to the diversions, but also because the official coloured routes are not the 'quickest' as dictated by these contraptions.

Satnav's are not a substitute for common sense.

---

I'm a bit confused by the description of the new access route. The Shepton show ground is adjacent to the A371 not the A37. If they are coming from the A371 how would they cross the A37? And if they mean the A37, hasn't there always been a metal track road running along side Pyle?

Does anyone have a link to the newspaper report?

Cheers

Dave F.

[NeilVJ]

I like the idea that the sat navs will take you to the start of the designated route rather than the entrance gate itself. Should make things a lot more manageable

[lord stradmor]

My job is putting Agendas and Minutes on the website for the Council in my area and yes, they have to publish online except when it is a Part II Pink Item which means that those details are not to be veiwed by the press or public...so it could have been are Part II item on the Agenda.

[Dave F.]

At present the application is just that, an application, under consideration by the licensing officers, so it doesn't have to go online.

If there are concerns or objections "from affected parties" i.e. people who live next to it in Pilton or from the parish council, its then that it becomes an agenda item for a council licensing committee.

[bunchy]

All items on the Agenda are published...unless, as I said earlier it is a Pink Item. This is how the public are made aware of applications and proposed developments. They are discussed at the meetings and the results of those those discussions are then published in the Minutes. Sorry if I sound a geek but it's my job so I know what I'm talking about.

Edited January 10, 2010 by bunchy

[Guest]

According to the report in the paper, "details of the application are being held at Mendip District Council offices and representations from interested parties and responsible authorities have to be made by January 20th"

It also goes on to say -

"The application will only be considered by councillors if it is felt that the licence is substantially different to the existing licence"

[JimOfTheJungle]

Opening the car park at 9pm Tue will help the traffic problems and will certainly be better in that aspect than, say, 7am Wed.

However, I just cant see it that GFL will plan to have thousands of excited pre-glasto punters boozing partying and kipping in the car park before the festival. It will require some infrastructure to support these people and will bring about all sorts of safety concerns.

IMHO , a 2am carpark opening and 4am gates opening would be a much better solution and would stagger the numbers turning up much more evenly and cause fewer safety problems as everyone would be straight into the main festival with only a short delay at the most.

However, if it is gonna be a Tue evening opening of the carpark, and a Wed morning opening of the gates, I think its got to be one of the following:

• Opening of a special camping area for these early arrivals, which then becomes part of the festival once the main gates open in the morning (as.suggested.by.Okky)

• Sneakily opening the main gates at say, 2am on the Wednesday, but without advertising it. This might be a bit naughty, in terms of the licence, (although its not opening a day early or anything) or alternatively GFL might get Mendip council to agree it to be done this way, I cant see why they wouldn't.

I'll probably turn up wednesday morning some time. I'll gladly sacrifice a few of the plumb camping spots if it means less queueing.

[YetAnotherOldHippy]

As a sad old environmentalist, I'd be a little surprised if evil car users got preferential treatment on opening times over train/coach users.

[G1T]

Sneakily opening the main gates at say, 2am on the Wednesday, but without advertising it. This might be a bit naughty, in terms of the licence, (although its not opening a day early or anything) or alternatively GFL might get Mendip council to agree it to be done this way, I cant see why they wouldn't.

Edited January 10, 2010 by G1T

[denwyn]

As a sad old environmentalist, I'd be a little surprised if evil car users got preferential treatment on opening times over train/coach users.

[starfruit]

It seems strange that when the issues last year were down to too much traffic, they apply to have an extra 5,400 cars on site. That and being able to start your festival early if you go by car (even if it is just carpark access, we all know people will see it as an extra night of drinking and festivalling) hardly encourage the use of public transport. Although if extra car parks with extra entrances mean cars can get on site quicker, I can see its uses.

I'm also wondering what the long term effects of increasing parking and camping will be? Probably like most festivals...increase the geographical size of the festival one year in the interests of the safety of the people already going, and then in following years apply for an increase in capacity of attendees as you have more space on site.

[Okky]

From someone who is definatley not an enviromentalist and will be going as usual by car,in fact we are using two cars this year,mainly as three of us and all the equipmey will not fit into one small car. Some of us have no option but to use a car.