An entrepreneur who wants to bring a music festival to Letchworth with the aim of raising money for sick children has applied for a premises licence to hold the event at Baldock Road Recreation Ground.

Dale Mabert, who set up Helping Sick Children earlier this year to make trips to hospital more enjoyable for young people, is hoping to hold two-day bonanza Herts Fest at the beginning of July next year.

The team had hoped to hold the event in Norton Common, but now believe that the recreation ground – often the venue for visiting fun fairs and circuses – would be a more suitable venue.

Despite the uncertainty over the venue, the wheels are in motion for the team who have already signed up bands to play and plan to announce two professional acts in the coming weeks.

The organisers have applied for a licence to allow them to have live acts, fun fair rides and the sale of alcohol on the grounds between 11am and 1am on both the Friday and Saturday of the festival.

As well as raising money for their own charity the organisers hope to use the festival to drum up funds towards the cost of funding another children’s air ambulance in the UK.

Dale, who lives in Baldock, said: “The plan was originally to create the first music festival in Letchworth of this scale.

“We have changed the venue due to concerns raised by residents and for safety reasons we need to move to a bigger space.”

Anyone who wants to make a comment on the premises application can do so – no later than Friday, December 18 – by writing to North Herts District Council, Licensing Department, Gernon Road, Letchworth, SG6 3JF.

If you would like to find out more about the festival, or if you are a business or band that wants to get involved, you can email Dale on info@hertsc.co.uk.

For more information about the charity visit www.helpingsickchildren.org.

To purchase tickets for the festival – with prices starting at £16 for Friday or Saturday and £30 for both days – visit www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/herts-fest-2016.