Cornbury Park Licence Application
| Cally Robson |
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Tue 4 Jan 2011, 23:40 For those who may have missed it, Lady Rotherwick posted in the News section on this website on 1st December www.charlbury.info/cgi-bin/dnews.cgi?id=700 that "It is NOT our intention to increase the number of events held at Cornbury." As stated by her, the only reason Cornbury Park applied for this kind of premises license was at the suggestion of officials from the West Oxfordshire District Council. WODC saw it as a way to avoid a direct and immediate conflict with the license application from the original festival organisers on a specified weekend, and offered it to the Estate as a blanket (and more efficient) way of covering off any events that might possibly happen. They clearly did not anticipate the extent of speculation and rumour that such a cover-all application would kick-off. The Rotherwicks also clarify the situation in their recent statement to the licensing committee panel which anyone can read here www.westoxon.gov.uk/files/reports/10834.pdf Clearly, they have no intention of increasing the number of music festivals - how would there be demand for more anyway? But events such as the Wychwood Forest Fair (first hosted in 2008) or a local food festival (such as the wonderful Northmoor Food Festival) would still need a license. Would objectors to the license application still regard these as unacceptable - surely they are core to our rural life and something we should actively encourage? I've read many of the letters of objection - from this I can see that much of the objection is down to pure misinformation and speculation, and we have to admit that a large proportion of that has to be down to the Estate not clarifying the situation and keeping the community informed even as events were unfolding. But there also seems to be an great deal of suspicion and historic ill-feeling against the Estate that has surprised me. As a relative newcomer here (8 years), I have no experience of the histories behind this. But as a proud resident and appreciator of all things Charlbury today, and our beautiful Wychwood area and communities, I'd have expected us to make more use of our generous spirit and enquiring minds. With best regards to all.
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