2004 Glastonbury Festival Licence Application Meeting

26 Nov 2003

The Regulatory Board of Mendip District Council is meeting this evening to discuss the application for a public entertainment licence for Glastonbury Festival 2004.

A presentation will be made by Melvin Benn, Operational Director for the Festival, followed by responses from all of the statutory bodies. Councillors will hear from the Emergency Services, the Environment Agency, the Pilton Parish Council and Council Officers, as well as members of the public, who will make the case as to whether the licence should be awarded. Councillors will then debate the information they have heard and vote to decide if a licence should be awarded.

This has often been a tense process in the past, with complex due process, leading to re-applications, appeals and other legal devices. However given the very positive reports about the 2003 festival, we are very hopeful that The Regulatory Board will award this licence. Melvin Benn has vast experience of organising safe events and the work he has done since 2002 has allowed everyone to be confident that Glastonbury Festivals are safer and more secure than ever.

In 2003, Melvin Benn, as the licensee, took greater responsibility for the areas affected outside the festival site and dealt with the problems previously caused to local residents. There is a wide consensus that Pilton was more peaceful than ever during the event, and this operation was a success. Local residents have already had their opportunity to make their views about the 2004 licence application known in a public consultation meeting prior to this meeting and there was only one objection raised on environmental grounds.

At the last local election the Conservative Party made massive gains on Mendip District Council, which means that a significant proportion of the councillors who have been previously been on the Regulatory Board are no longer involved. The composition of this committee now reflects the majority held by the Conservative Party locally. It will be interesting to see how the new Regulatory Board responds to the licence application. As they say in farming areas, “you don't count your chickens before their hatched.” So it's not over until the chair persons gavel comes down and the votes of all the Regulatory Board members are counted.

The results of the meeting will be reported on local and national media, and you will also be able to see live reporting on this website, as the events of the evening unfolds.

Outcome of Meeting


The festival was successful at this meeting in obtaining a Public Entertainment Licence for the 25th, 26th & 27th June 2004.

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