Festival chiefs urged to help pay for clean-up

Streets in the centre of Leeds became a sea of mud and discarded wellies during Monday’s exodus of fans from the rain-hit
music festival to the city’s train station.

Now Leeds City Council’s executive member for the environment, Coun Mark Dobson, has said he expects organiser Festival Republic to cover some of the bill for the clean-up operation.

The council has also hinted that measures for stopping similar problems in the future could be made part of the festival’s annual licence agreement, such as providing hosing-down facilities at the exits from the festival’s Bramham Park site, near Wetherby. Hoses were used at a Tesco store in Seacroft to wash the wellies of fans arriving to stock up on supplies.

Coun Dobson said: “I will be seeking an urgent conversation with partners such as Network Rail to discuss their views and also the organisers to see how they can contribute to the excess cost of the clean-up which otherwise the Leeds taxpayer will now have to pay for.”

Coun Rebecca Charlwood, chair of the council’s licensing committee, said she wanted to hold talks with Festival Republic.

Festival Republic said it had sent a team to the station Monday and collected more than 200 pairs of boots. Managing director Melvin Benn added: “Obviously I will be entering into discussions with Leeds City Council about any concerns that they may have regarding the festival and I look forward to having those conversations.”

Meanwhile, organisers have confirmed a baby was born at the festival over the weekend. No further details were available.