Cambridge Rock Festival to return to £148m lottery winner's estate despite noise concerns

Credit: PA Adrian and Gillian Bayford, from Suffolk, scooped £148 million on the Euro Millions, but split within two years.
Adrian and Gillian Bayford, from Suffolk, scooped £148m on the EuroMillions draw, but split up within two years. Credit: PA

A four-day music festival on the estate of a £148m EuroMillions winner will go ahead next year, despite noise concerns being raised.

The Cambridge Rock Festival took place at the Horseheath Lodge Estate, east of Linton, Cambridgeshire, in 2017 and 2018.

The estate is owned by EuroMillions winner Adrian Bayford, who won £148million in 2012.

It was due to be held on the estate again this summer, but was cancelled after the organisers were told they would have to apply for a permanent licence, instead of the temporary licence previously used.

Concerns had also been raised that the event would create "intolerable" noise and "severe disturbance to peace", but South Cambridgeshire District Council gave permission for the festival to take place annually by granting the licence.

At a meeting for the district council’s licensing sub-committee, David Roberts, from RBF Festivals Limited, said the festival was a “family friendly” event which offered a "huge range of different styles" of music.

Mr Roberts said the festival was “not massive” and that each of the three stages used a sound system similar to one that might be used at a “village hall event”.

Horseheath Parish Council supported the application and said: “The event was clearly well managed with adequate stewards and no excess noise."

However, Linton Parish Council argued the festival could cause “severe disturbance to peace and sleep”.

Cllr John Bald said: “The fact is you are taking a site in the middle of the countryside and using it for a purpose that it was not really intended for, it is almost a mini Glastonbury, taking a farm site and using it in this way seems to us frankly unsuitable.

“Our objection is to the potential for a great deal of disturbance to our residents and no effective prevention to control it once this starts. No one objects to an afternoon festival, but going on late at night is a legitimate concern for residents.”

It was highlighted that a hotline was proposed to be made available during the festival where people could contact the organisers themselves if there were any noise issues.

Cllr Anna Bradnam said she was “sorry” the festival had been cancelled this year, and that she hoped the event next year was successful.

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