Cambridge Rock Festival to go ahead in Lotto winner's garden

A music festival will be able to take place next year at a Lotto winner's estate despite noise concerns.

The four-day Cambridge Rock Festival is held on Adrian Bayford's property in Horseheath. He won £148m in 2012.

Claims were made that the festival could cause "severe disturbance to peace and sleep" when organisers applied for a new type of licence.

South Cambridgeshire District Council dismissed the claims and approved the licence application.

The festival switched to Mr Bayford's grounds on the Horseheath Lodge Estate, on Dean Road, in 2017, having previously been held near Barton since 2009.

The festival began at Huntingdon Racecourse in 2004, and across its history has featured acts including Dr Feelgood, Wishbone Ash, Magnum and Don Airey.

It is not going ahead in 2023 due to a change in licence that had to be applied for.

Under the new licence, approved by the council's licensing sub-committee, it can go ahead for four days between May and September each year.

It will also be permitted to have live music and the sale of alcohol between 11:00 and 23:00 BST, and for up to 1,500 people to attend, including staff, contractors and entertainers.

Committee members said they believed the concerns raised were based on other events.

No objections had been raised by police, Cambridgeshire County Council highways team, environmental health, the fire service or trading standards.

Concerns were raised by neighbouring Linton Parish Council, plus by some people living in neighbouring West Wickham.

In its application, the organiser set out some measures it planned to take to follow licensing objectives, including monitoring sound levels and having a complaints hotline.

Mr Bayford was the co-owner of the Suffolk Music Centre in Haverhill when he won the lottery.

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