Wilderness noise and no day tickets for residents

Thu 18 Aug 2016, 22:14

Wilderness was wonderful once again - so pleased we have it in our back yard. i didn't stay late on any night but didn't have any issue with the sound, despite living closer than most. Long may it continue.

Tue 16 Aug 2016, 18:25

All the complainants assume that everyone works Monday to Friday, a lot of
people work unsocial hours or weekends, they are not doing all the moaning.

Tue 16 Aug 2016, 18:12

David - Down here on Dyers Hill, we have noisy traffic every day and then get Riverside and Wilderness as well. Strangely, Riverside, although only 0.5km away, causes far less disturbance than Wilderness does at 2km.
Riverside, of course, closes at a reasonable hour in the evening and certainly does not run on into Monday morning.

Tue 16 Aug 2016, 16:47

Good job it is just once per year. People who live along The Slade & Sturt Road have to put up with intrusively noisy traffic every day (see other thread).Surely a balance can be achieved where everyone gets to do what they want without aggrevating their neighbours.

Tue 16 Aug 2016, 16:00

All the complainants assume that everyone works Monday to Friday, a lot of
people work unsocial hours or weekends, they are not doing all the moaning.

Tue 16 Aug 2016, 15:47

This is one long weekend a year. Let the kids have some fun and lets try not to ruin it for them. I think we all agree there are far more important things going on in this world that should be keeping us awake rather than some folk having a boogie in a field at 2am on a Monday morning.

Tue 16 Aug 2016, 14:49

Liz, I have a great deal of respect for your efforts to be fair to everyone, even if we do seem to be on the opposite side of a number of arguments. But on this particular issue I am not convinced that you have progressively improved things at all - those cut-off times of 4.00am and 2.00am were not permitted by the license until they were extended a couple of years ago.

Tue 16 Aug 2016, 13:32

Fact is I have spoken to you and spoken to WODC but still there is Noise on a Monday morning at 2AM which they have a licence for so don't say I have only complained on here fact is there should be peace at that time of day on a Monday some how they have got a licence and its unfair to local you should help and support us who have complained about the noise but it seems your on the side of the festival. I have said that over the weekend it's fine but it goes on from Thursday so letting us have some sleep on Monday would be only fair. You may know how they managed to be able to make that amount of noise with in the license they have but its not fair.

Tue 16 Aug 2016, 12:26 (last edited on Tue 16 Aug 2016, 12:28)

A great deal of time and effort has gone into working with the organisers of Wilderness over the past six years, by the Town Council, by WODC officers and by myself as the district councillor. WODC reviews the event every year and comments from residents always form part of that review and are taken seriously, but if you don't send your comments to WODC and only complain on the Forum they will not be included. So please send in your comments. We have progressively improved things as those who have lived in Charlbury for some time will testify. I got into trouble with some people in Charlbury five years ago because I was in the Oxford Mail saying that noise was a problem. The fact is that there are as many people in the town who feel it is an imposition as there are people who love the festival and do not want it changed. You cannot please all of the people all of the time - all you can do is try to find a good compromise as Andy says.

Tue 16 Aug 2016, 11:05

I can't understand how a licence was even issued for that time of day on a Monday I live here these people that run it aren't doing it out of the goodness of their hearts there is and never has been any thought for locals OK some local can be bought with the idea of cheap tickets that fine but for those that don't go or want to go that hard luck I suppose ?.

[Edited to remove unfounded allegation --Richard]

Tue 16 Aug 2016, 09:43

As you say, Paul, it has been raised on many occasions without getting anywhere. I wonder where Andy has been living for the past several years if he thinks people haven't tried to get a sensible compromise before!

Tue 16 Aug 2016, 09:27

This happens every year and I for one have said the noise levels on the weekend is OK but Sunday should finish early to allow people that work and get up early on a Monday to have some sleep . Drum and base noise at 2am is not fare to any one that needs sleep it's been brought up time and time again and every year it Carrys on . Shutting the whole event down at 11pm on Sunday night is the best way forward if this can't be done then there's no reason why the event should be allowed to continue

Mon 15 Aug 2016, 11:51

Reasonableness should always be the meter when assessing exceptions to the norm. Sound disurbance/noise should be considerate to residents whilst not detracting from this marvellous festivsl event. Let's discuss it and get some sensible compromise!

Mon 15 Aug 2016, 11:28

As indeed all WODC recycling will be next financial year.

Re festivals etc some tolerance is called for, but the Sat & Sun evening shut down times of circa 4am and 2am probably ought to be an hour or two earlier IMHO.

Sun 14 Aug 2016, 09:56

The other thread on wilderness says that recycling is done - post event rather than during the event.

Sat 13 Aug 2016, 22:39

Should be interesting to see what happens when Cornbury is sold?

Wed 10 Aug 2016, 10:17

Some consideration ought to be given to the environmental impact of this event. It is ironic to say the least that an event that takes advantage of the stunning natural environment here to attract people to our local wilderness can get away with not providing recycling facilities to cut costs. I really think proper provision of recycling facilities ought to be a condition of the licence. There is also the impact from all the additional vehicles attending the site and the impact on road surface conditions that this brings. Kudos is all very well, but there are some practical realities that have to be taken into account. Smaller local events such as Riverside go to all sorts of lengths to be considerate to the environment and the same ought to be expected of the larger events.

Tue 9 Aug 2016, 18:12

Emma, please remember that it is also on someone else's doorstep who does not necessarily enjoy the same booming music that you do. That is why it ought to be a no-brainer to expect some sort of balancing of interests between participants and neighbours, even if you want to tip the balance quite a long way in one direction.

Tue 9 Aug 2016, 15:26

My friends & I spent 2 nights dancing to the booming music in the valley, we had a brilliant time. It's great to have this on our doorstep every year.

Mon 8 Aug 2016, 20:48 (last edited on Mon 8 Aug 2016, 20:50)

It's also incredibly well organised

Mon 8 Aug 2016, 20:48 (last edited on Mon 8 Aug 2016, 20:51)

All of the Wilderness events I've attended have had numerous music stages of various sizes and have included late night music in "The Valley" clearly advertised & sanctioned through the Licensing committee. There's also all the crafts, debates, food & drink, kids activities & theatre. I'm not one of them but a lot of visitors love the late night dancing & it's great they can enjoy it.

Mon 8 Aug 2016, 19:38

Wilderness is not promoted primarily as a music festival - it is supposed to be a Wilderness celebration for people who enjoy country crafts, artiisan pursuits and the myriad of activities which are fun for all the family. Yes it is definitely inclusive of families with children. If 'economic truth' means allowing boom beating noise till 4am in the morning then there is somemthing very wrong with our society. I agree that compromise is required and endorse the time proposals mentioned by Alan Wilson below. As for day tickets for locals - come on - it's not rocket science!

Mon 8 Aug 2016, 17:57

Music festivals on rural estates are now part of social life in the UK. There are several hundred up and down the land each season between May and October. Each one offers revenue to the estates and income (a living) to the musicians and the traders.
Blenheim and Cornbury have to be in the market for this economical truth. The thousands who converge on our locality for music and entertainment will always raise comment about 'noise' and 'congestion'. These are a natural consequence. I would suggest that we locals might accept the utilitarian argument: the greater good for the greater number.

Mon 8 Aug 2016, 16:34

The noise is not minimal for everyone. Every year it goes on well into the early hours. The increased HGV and general traffic through Fawler is horrendous and makes walking the dog or letting the kids out to play a much riskier activity. If you have kids too young to enjoy the festival, the availability of locals tickets really doesn't compensate for the noise and traffic disruption as the increased traffic in particular begins and ends well outside of the duration of the festival itself. Are there any figures available for how much increased trade it generates. I can see the advantages, but I do feel that it could be organised to be less disruptive, e.g. by not going on until 4am and managing the traffic better.

Mon 8 Aug 2016, 16:20

Dave, well said, couldn't agree more. Try living near Woodstock with Countryfile Live in town then you see traffic problems. The noise is minimal & for such a short time over one weekend a year.

Mon 8 Aug 2016, 16:10

I would have thought the logistics of a day ticket just for residents would be horrendously complex. The cost of the local tickets are very reasonable and when compared to many other larger festivals, high economical. Wilderness brings untold kudos to the town, not to mention the added trade that flows through the shops and pubs and it surprises me that we don't all embrace it. The disruption is only for one weekend a year after all

Mon 8 Aug 2016, 12:03

I actually thought that the noise this year was no worse that we are regularly expected to put up with from these monster events. But I have to agree that cut-off times of 4.00am and 2.00am are absolutely mad, and I cannot imagine what the members of the licensing committee were thinking of when they agreed to it. Surely 2.00am on Saturday night and midnight on Sunday would strike a fairer balance between festival-goers and residents?

Mon 8 Aug 2016, 11:23

I think the sound issues were unfortunate this year, and I'd guess they were caused by the wind. The stage that goes on until 4 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday actually has incredible sound proofing. It was very noticeable Saturday night that the higher the gust speed the louder the noise.

There are no day tickets at all for anyoibe, and making them available just for us would require more admin on their part and probably put the price up!

Mon 8 Aug 2016, 10:51

I cannot believe the booming beat noise well into the middle of the night - approx 3.30am on Saturday and still continuing even last night. It was warm and many of us had to keep the windows shut and wear earplugs. Surely there should be a sensible cut off time - it's absolutely not OK for next year for this 'noise nuisance' to be repeated.

In addition, why are there no day tickets available for Charlbury residents? We have to put up with massive traffic disruption, unauthorised footpath closures and hideous middle-of-the-night noise - day passes would be the very least they could offer us for 2017! Anyone else agree . . . ???