A POPULAR music festival will go ahead this weekend after concerns it might be cancelled.

Shepley Cricket Club’s committee asked Kirklees Council to extend its alcohol licence until 4am so it could host the Shepley Spring festival.

But the licence was opposed by nearby home owners who said the club’s events were already disruptive.

At a licensing panel at Huddersfield Town Hall yesterday, the residents made it clear they were not against the folk festival and did not want to jeopardise it going ahead this weekend.

The Marsh Lane home owners were worried the cricket club would be open until 4am regularly, disturbing their sleep and causing antisocial behaviour in the rural area.

Mrs Cynthia Walker said in a letter: “Drinking until four in the morning should be sited near town where there is adequate police presence to deal with the outcome of people being intoxicated, making noise, driving their cars, and perhaps causing vandalism.”

Jeffrey Beaumont, another resident, said at the meeting: “I believe in live and let live, I’ve lived at the side of the cricket club for almost 50 years and have had no dispute with them before this.”

He said he hoped a compromise could be reached between the two parties.

Club secretary Ian Watkinson stressed that the licence was not intended so the club could open until 4am on a regular basis.

He said the licence was applied for over a temporary events licence that wouldn’t allow for the 3,000 people they expect each day of the festival.

Chair of the panel, Clr Christine Iredale, granted the licence application on the condition that the cricket club notified the local authorities of any event held there exceeding normal licensing hours.

The hours are 6am until 10.30pm on Sundays, 6am until 11pm Monday until Thursday, and 6am until midnight on Friday and Saturday.

Resident Diane Balmer said after the meeting: “It could have been a bit better but I can go with that.

“It was that four in the morning bit that was the big concern. I think it has been a compromise.

“We can’t get exactly what we want – I think it’s gone a bit more our way.”