Investigation announced into Download festival traffic chaos

An investigation has been announced into the congestion caused by Download Festival this month.

The roads to the event near Donington Park in Leicestershire saw increased congestion of around two hours and National Highways reported the M1 and A453 had "severe delays".

Nearby East Midlands Airport said at the time it was experiencing "higher than usual traffic" on the roads as people tried to catch flights.

On Wednesday, event organisers announced a review and said they believe an increase in vehicles used by festival goers along with issues over travel routes to car parks on the first two days of the rock festival were behind the problems.

In a statement the leader of Leicestershire County Council, said: "Download is enjoyed by thousands of people every year but this can't be at the expense of the severe impact we experienced on our roads and in our communities.

"Although we provide support, it is ultimately the responsibility of Download's organisers to ensure arrangements for running an event are put in place, including traffic management plans."

Event organiser Live Nation Entertainment said it is aiming to improve "community engagement" and will hold meetings with local businesses and residents for next year's festival.

In a statement they said, "Following this year's Download Festival and a number of traffic management debrief meetings, we recognise that the level of traffic congestion was unprecedented and not acceptable due to the effect it had on our customers and the local community.

"As organisers of the festival, we have committed to a full review of the traffic management plan and information that was provided to ticket-holders relating to the route to designated car parks."