Winchester: Brockwood Festival blocked over noise concerns

Plans for a new festival in Hampshire have been blocked over fears it would cause too many problems for people living nearby.

Brockwood Festival, a four-day music event, would have been held in Hinton Ampner from 11 - 14 July.

But the application for the 2,000-person event at Brockwood Farm was rejected by Winchester City Council.

Expert evidence convinced the licensing committee that festival noise would harm the tranquil site.

The festival was first held as a private event in 2021 and saw 500 people attend.

The bigger event would have been held on "private arable land with a small, wooded area encompassed by fencing", known as Gowin's Copse, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Applicant Alastair Morton said it would be "wonderful" because of the intimate feel of the venue, in the heart of his family's farmland.

But one resident from nearby Bramdean objected and expressed worries about potential "noise and traffic issues".

Others compared it to another local August festival, Boomtown, raising concerns about the impact on the local area and its neighbours.

Claire Rogers, of Hinton Ampner Place, was one of 16 people to show support for Brockwood Festival, saying she did not believe noise would create public nuisance.

"We live within a couple of miles of the festival and the event has never caused any undue noise and is in fact something that most of the locals enjoy and support.

"Being as close as we are to the festival, I feel that we are in an excellent position to judge whether or not we would be disturbed by the noise! I do hope that the licence will be granted."

Organisers hoped the event's capacity would have grown to 3,000 people in 2025 and 5,000 thereafter.

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