RUMOURS surrounding Creamfields will be quashed if a permanant licence is successful, says Loudsound’s event manager Jim King.

This year organisers of the Daresbury-based music festival have applied for a fixed licence, rather than submitting a new request each year as happened in the past three years.

Mr King said not applying for the permit each year will not change the strict conditions which the two day dance event has to comply with annually.

He said that a permanent licence would allow the neighbouring communities to know what the organiser’s plans actually are.

If approved, the August Bank Holiday dance festival will see the capacity reduced from last year’s maximum of 39,999 to 29,999 people.

Mr King said: “We hope this will assist the community in a number of ways as the festival plan will not be able change in future years without a new application being submitted and scrutinized.

“Very simply, the licence we apply for this year cannot change in terms of its location, the layout, the number of people, the number of days and the duration of the each day.”

Police and Halton Borough Council have the powers to terminate the permit if conditions were not followed.

Managers plan to allow ticket holders to camp from the Saturday until the bank holiday Monday.

If agreed at a licence hearing at Halton later this month or in June, Creamfields will be able to play live music and film for 14 hours from 2pm until 4am on the Saturday and from 10am until 11pm on the Sunday.

At a Creamfields meeting in Daresbury chaired by the Loudsound organisers last week, Ch Sup Phil Thompson said: “Personal safety and public safety is the core priority and it does not allow any tolerance for crime. We take a very robust approach. This is badged as a safe event where people know there is chance of prosecution.”

People have until May 20 to voice their opinions to Halton Borough Council.