A Walkern-based festival which punters have hailed “artistically clever and creative” now has a premises licence, following a council hearing.

Organisers at Campo Sancho have plans to return to Walkern Hall in 2024 – after a break this year.

East Herts District Council’s licensing sub-committee heard that despite initially receiving objections from two neighbours and a parish council, all bar one objector had withdrawn their comments when event managers agreed to set up dedicated complaints hotline.

Festival reps told a panel of councillors they will set out to “make the final objector a fan”, promising to return next summer with an “open, friendly and sustainable event with an emphasis on quality”.

The event, in the countryside between Stevenage and Buntingford, is due to take place between July 25 and July 29 next year. 

At the hearing held on June 6, 2023, the panel agreed to grant a licence for one Campo Sancho event per year, with permission to feature plays, films, live music and dance between midday and midnight on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

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Recorded music can be played Thursday until Sunday at various times – including background music until 4am on Sunday morning – and the licence allows vendors to serve alcohol as well as late-night refreshments.

One resident, who does not want the event to continue beyond midnight, left their complaint in place which meant the hearing had to go ahead.

“I am writing to object to Campo Sancho continuing until 3am and 4am on Friday and Saturday,” they wrote.

“I feel strongly this is unfair to people living locally.

“We have heard the music loudly from our house at past Campo Sancho festivals and this is unacceptable until this time in the morning.”

Despite the objection, 23 commenters wrote to East Herts District Council in support of the event.

“This festival is totally family friendly, accessible to all with tickets,” one resident wrote.

“It’s artistically clever, creative, and above all else good, harmless fun.”

Another said: “This weekend is one of the highlights of my year. It brings together all generations and everyone smiles from when they arrive until when they leave.”

An events bar manager based in nearby Weston, who works Campo Sancho, praised organisers for a “safe, well organised and well-run local festival”.

They added: “It really is a special gem amidst a sea of other generic, more commercial festivals.”

At the hearing, the council’s licensing sub-committee heard none of the “responsible authorities”, such as the police and environmental health team, had submitted complaints.

Applicant Jim Angell said: “Originally, the vision was, if you like, a 21st-century village fête. That’s how we saw it.

“We wanted to provide a safe space for people to come together, to connect, to celebrate all the good things in life."

Mr Angell added he uses local suppliers – from within 15 miles of the event – to supply staging, sound and lighting equipment, bars, first aid, power and food.

“We’re not Glastonbury,” he said.

“We’re not putting hundreds of thousands of pounds into the economy, but we are putting tens of thousands of pound into the economy.”

Mr Angell’s licensing agent said with no objections from responsible authorities, “it suggests your experts all agree that this application supports the licensing objectives”.

He added: “Finishing the event at midnight would finish the event.

“It wouldn’t be feasible.

“We couldn’t sell tickets for it, but were we to sell tickets, a whole lot of other problems would occur shutting the event down at midnight.”

The discussions were held in a public meeting, which no objectors attended.

East Herts District Council’s sub-committee members made their deliberations in private before granting the application.