A DANCE music festival originally planned for Bingley has been moved following safety concerns.

The Riverside Festival, for people aged 18 or over, was originally due to take place on Saturday, August 5, between 2pm and 10pm, at Myrtle Park, Bingley.

The new festival was billed as having three arenas for 2,500 people and more than 20 DJs.

But Bingley Town Council heard at its latest meeting that the festival was judged unsafe by Bradford Council’s Public Safety Liaison Group (PSLG), after the organisers failed to provide all of the necessary documentation and reassurances.

Bradford Council officers told the town council initial permission had been granted for the Riverside Festival in May.

But organisers have now announced on social media that the festival will be held on Saturday, September 30, at Riverside Field, Silsden, following concerns over it taking place at Myrtle Park less than a month before Bingley Music Live.

Ros Dawson, Bingley Town Council chairman, said: “This has been dubbed by some as a stealth festival. There has been no consultation and no advertising about this event around Bingley.

“Many residents near the park, who’ve only heard about the festival by chance, have been very concerned about the likely noise and other anti-social behaviour and the impact on the park.”

A Riverside Festival spokesman said: “We did gain confirmation from Bradford Council parks department that the festival could utilise Myrtle Park as a venue for August 5.

“The Riverside management attended a meeting where concerns were raised by the PSLG and the Council about the sustainability of two large festivals taking place in the park within a short space of time of each other. We also encountered some licensing issues affecting our date from this meeting.

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“Riverside quickly discovered that in order to run a responsible festival that they would have no option but to defer the date to September 30. We felt the best course of action was to work with the Council, taking on board their comments and to move our festival to Silsden for this year.”

A Bradford Council spokesman said: “No documentation has been submitted to the PSLG regarding any other alternative venue or date."