Councillors take weekend to mull BNP festival decision

| Saturday, 21 July 2007 Source: Derbyshire Evening Telegraph

A decision on whether to allow alcohol and music at a festival planned by the British National Party has again been put on hold by councillors.

Amber Valley Borough Council was expected to announce a decision on Thursday on whether to grant a drinks and entertainments licence for the Red, White and Blue festival - which is set to take place in Denby early next month.

But after a three-hour meeting on Wednesday night, during which Denby residents expressed their fears about the festival, and a further two days of discussing evidence presented at the meeting, councillors still have not made a decision.

BNP member Alan Warner, a resident of Denby, has applied to hold the festival on fields he owns on Codnor-Denby Lane.

Mr Warner has said that the festival will go ahead regardless of the authority's decision.

A spokeswoman for the council said a decision was expected on Monday.