Festival organisers will have to wait to find out if it can go ahead next year

Lichfield district councillors decided to delay a decision on the 2024 Wibbly Woods festival while a ‘criminal investigation’ into this year’s event is underway.

Jack Twomey, from the council’s environmental health department, requested the postponement at a meeting on Thursday which was due to decide on whether or not to grant permission for the forthcoming event due to take place in July 2024.

He said: “I request an adjournment because the 2023 Wibbly Woods event is subject to a criminal investigation which may have a bearing on any decision for this hearing.

“I respectfully request it’s adjourned until early in the new year to allow time for that investigation to conclude.”

Organisers are seeking permission for music to be played between 2pm until 4am, and for a bar to operate from midday until 4am, between 25th and 28th July 2024.

In his application, festival director Bertie Bensons stated: “This event will be tucked away in Fradley Woods,” adding: “The event is a festival that celebrates the love of art, music, food and culture.

“We pride ourselves in working closely with up and coming artists and artisans to achieve a creative space.”

Mr Benson said there will be 24-hour security as well as bag searches to keep festival-goers safe.

There will also be a series of plans in place to tackle noise and litter problems.

Despite this, environmental protection officer Jennifer Whittle raised concerns about the event and the way in which it has been run previously.

In a letter to the licensing committee, she said: “During the 2023 event music was audible near to residential properties after 11pm. Further complaints from residents were received after the event.

“The event organiser has been invited to attend an interview under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, to allow us to further investigate breaches in relation to times at Wibbly Woods 2023.”

The first Wibbly Woods festival was held in 2021, and although officers had concerns about that event they chose not to object and instead carried out monitoring.

Ms Whittle said: “We received multiple complaints from local residents, as well as residents 1.4 miles away as the crow flies.

“The event organiser at the time was advised that any future events of this nature would be objected to on the basis of the findings from the monitoring that had taken place.”

However, an administrative blunder by the council meant its objection to the 2022 event was invalid, and therefore the festival was allowed to go ahead.

The council subsequently served a noise abatement notice on the organisers, but decided it was not in the public interest to pursue this.

Environmental health officers then objected to the 2023 event, but councillors allowed it to go ahead on the basis that it would finish at 11pm on the first day and at midnight on the following days.

However, officers found music was still blaring after midnight on the first day and as late as 2am on the other days.

They say organisers’ failure to manage noise levels had led to a lack of confidence in their willingness to comply with the festival’s licence restrictions.

It is expected a decision will now be made in January on whether or not to allow the festival to go ahead in 2024.