Stars line up to support T in the Park move plan
Performers unveiled amid RSPB concerns for wildlife
A HOST of pop stars, DJs and music managers have fired off letters of support for plans to move the T in the Park festival to a historic castle estate.
Simple Minds frontman Jim Kerr and TV presenter Edith Bowman are among the famous faces responding to an online consultation on the proposals to stage the event at Strathallan Castle.
Kerr told Perth and Kinross Council the festival was “truly a colossal part of Scotland’s cultural identity” while Bowman, who has worked at T in the Park for more than a decade, said the event is always staged with “care, thought and attention to detail”, and will help local businesses.
Managers of artists including Paolo Nutini, Biffy Clyro, Franz Ferdinand and Snow Patrol have also contributed, highlighting the cultural, social and economic benefits of staging the festival.
DF Concerts, which runs Scotland’s biggest music festival, announced the move last summer as safety concerns grew over the proximity of the Balado site to a large oil pipeline.
It was initially thought that the event could operate in the grounds of the 19th-century castle with a permitted development and a public entertainment licence, but the discovery of ospreys at Strathallan meant a formal planning application and an environmental statement was required with Perth and Kinross Council.
A 28-day consultation period on the application close last night, with a decision expected by the end of May.
RSPB Scotland said it had been disappointed at the “minimalist” measures to reduce the impact on birds and wildlife. While the charity said it would not object formally, it criticised the rather “last minute approach” to dealing with the issue of the ospreys.
A spokesman for DF Concerts & Events said it had been liaising with the RPSB and independent experts to ensure “minimal” disruption to wildlife. The company said it has also offered to start a working group with RSPB and SNH to take on their board their ongoing advice.
Despite the ongoing planning application, the line-up for the festival held between July 10 and 12 has been announced with Kasabian, The Libertines, Twin Atlantic and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds named as some of the headline acts.
More acts, including DJ Mark Ronson and Scottish band Admiral Fallow, were added on to the list yesterday, with tickets going on sale on Friday at 9am.
A number of objections to the plans have also been submitted with concerns raised over a number of factors including wildlife, transport and the economic impact.
One contribution said roads in the area are not capable of handling the anticipated volume of traffic.
Another stated that the planning application is only “for the financial benefit of one resident”.
Biffy Clyro manager Dee Bahl wrote: “The event has huge economic benefit to Scotland as well as cultural and social significance.
“It is a rite of passage for many of the country’s young people.” FILM-MAKER Walid Salhab joins Councillor Adrian Mahoney in the shadows of the Kelpies as a five-year drive to increase tourism to Falkirk is launched.
The strategy aims to increase visitor spend to more than £97 million a year.
Liz Buchanan, of VisitScotland, said: “The huge success of the Kelpies and their impact in the media around the world has placed Falkirk on the tourism map. This strategy sets out how the area will capitalise on that opportunity, and VisitScotland is delighted to be part of the team that will deliver for Falkirk.