Licensing review threatens long-running beer festival

The Long Itchington Beer Festival sees the village’s six pubs join together to host a series of events, including Morris dancing, bands and plays, in a celebration of real ale.

However, all six of the village’s pubs are now subject to a licensing review that threatens the festival’s future.

Mark Carver Smith, festival organiser and licensee at The Green Man said: “We heard nothing until March, which we took as tacit approval for the festival. No help has been offered at all from Stratford- upon- Avon council and we feel we’ve been penalised for hosting a busy, successful festival.

“We’ve been given 55 onerous conditions to stick to which there is no way I can organise without being sat at a desk full time.”

Carver Smith went on to say: “It’s very much a family event, designed for everyone from babes in arms to grannies. We have no problems with fights, drugs or underage drinking.”

Stratford-upon-Avon council confirmed that a licensing review would take place due to ‘previous incidents’ but would give no further comment until after the hearing.

The licensing review took place on 24 April but the result may not be confirmed until today-one day before the festival is due to start.

Documents submitted to the Stratford-upon-Avon licensing panel refer to concerns about road safety and door staff struggling to deal with large crowds.

The event first came under fire in 2014, when the council criticised the organisers for failing to have an event management plan in place.  A plan was submitted for 2015’s festival, but was later rejected as not being of a high enough standard.

Carver Smith believes the issues may have stemmed from revellers walking from pub to pub holding beer glasses alongside noise complaints lodged by neighbours surrounding one of the pubs. Plans to switch to plastic cups were in place for this year’s event.

The Long Itchington Beer Festival has been running since 2008 and has steadily grown year on year.