A family-friendly Somerset festival will have a new home from next summer after a new licence was granted.
The Godney Gathering has been staged since 2011, originally being held in a field in the eponymous village north of Glastonbury and expanding to a two-day event at the nearby Garslade Farm in 2014.
Founder and festival director Mike Daniells applied to Somerset Council for a new premises licence which would allow the festival to relocate up the road to Woodford Farm, a farm and wedding venue on Woodford Lane just south of Wells.
The council has now given the green light to this change, allowing the festival to go ahead as planned at its new home on July 16 and 17 2027.
The new licence allows one event to be held each year on the third Friday and Saturday in July, with just under 10,000 people being allowed to attend each day (including all staff, contractors, performers and volunteers).
The festival has welcomed a number of unforgettable performances over the years, with appearance by The Lightning Seeds, UB40, The Darkness, Scouting for Girls, The Zutons, Feeder and Somerset's own The Wurzels.
The full festival line-up will be announced at www.thegodneygathering.com in the coming weeks, with tickets currently on sale (including camping and glamping spaces).
Neither the police nor the council's environmental health team objected to the new licence, with the former agreeing conditions in advance of the council's licensing sub-committee east meeting virtually on Tuesday morning (October 27).
St. Cuthbert (Out) Parish Council had originally objected to the licence, but withdrew these objections following a mediation event organised by the council on October 1.
Several local residents had also objected on the grounds of noise, traffic congestion and public nuisance - but none of these individuals attended the virtual hearing to put their concerns directly to Mr Daniells.
Mr Daniells said: "We had about 50 local people attended an initial meeting after our application went in, which was quite positive.
"We started the event back in 2011, primarily as a fundraising opportunity for carnival clubs. Myself and my wife had been heavily involved with a large club.
"We've never had any problems, even when it comes to things like noise pollution. We've always worked very positively with the local community."
In previous years, the camping element of the festival was provided independently by a local farmer - which Mr Daniells said had made the event "financially unviable" and precipitated the need for a new location which could being both camping and entertainment under one roof.
He added: "We were at a crossroads of whether we had to cancel the event, suspend it forever, or try to find a new location.
"We invited people to a open public meeting at the actual venue itself, which just under 50 people attended.
"There were one or two quite vocal people who gave the impression to the whole room that they represented the whole of the area. It became very, very clear that was not the case.
"We have addressed the concerns about things like the camping being too close to residents - two people were worried about that, and they came back with a proposal which made complete sense.
"It was very heartening to realise that how many people the event would support going forward with regards to donations - whether it's for national charities or the local schools."
Councillor Marcus Kravis (Liberal Democrat, Dunster - who chaired the hearing) said that he was impressed by the event management plan for the festival, describing it as "comprehensive".
Following a short debate in confidential session, the sub-committee confirmed that the new licence would be granted - allowing the festival to move to its new home.
After the hearing concluded, Mr Daniels welcomed the news with an excited post on the festival's official Facebook page.
He said: "There are some very important people we need to thank.
"George and Anna, the owners of our new home, thank you for everything so far. Your support has helped us keep the Godney Gathering alive; it genuinely means more than we can say.
"To our new neighbours and local community, thanks for being so kind, inquisitive and welcoming as we begin this new adventure with you.
"Thank you to every single person who supported us - the individuals, schools, organisations, charities and everyone who took the time to write a letter of support.
"Every letter, every kind word and every show of support has meant the world to us.
"And to our Gatherers, thank you for being patient with us and believing in our little Somerset festival. We wouldn't be here without you.
"We might not be in Godney any more, but we're just three miles away from where we've been, and Godney will always have a very special place in the story and the beginnings of our festival. It was where we began, and that will never change.
"It’s hard to put into words what this moment means to us. The journey here has been emotional and challenging at times.
"But today, we get to look forward to the future of our very special little festival in Somerset, and we couldn’t be more excited.
"A new field, a new chapter and the same gatherers that make this special. Bring on 2027."
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