THE host of the Boomtown Festival is applying for a new access onto the estate.

The Matterley Estate is proposing a new entrance off the A272 to service the festival due this year in August.

The event currently has planning permission until 2024.

In its application the Pegasus Group, the festival’s agents, says the new access is needed to improve the flow of vehicles and people around the site.

But the application has sparked more opposition from parish councils and local people.

Cheriton Parish Council considers this to be the most recent example of ‘mission creep’ at Matterley Farm and objects to the application.

One reason is that the gate is outside the designated festival site. They are also unhappy about “the creation of yet more hard roads in a very visible part of the Estate which would be contrary to Local Plan Policies SD4: Landscape Character and SD6: Safeguarding Views.”

The parish council also predicts the new entrance near to the junction of the A272 with Rodfield Lane would lead to temporary traffic lights causing “more delays and and inconvenience for road users many of whom would be Cheriton parishioners.

“There are surely enough different access gates already for Boomtown? If not, then the attendance capacity for the Boomtown music festival has already been reached.”

Neil Saunders, chairman of Beauworth Parish Meeting, said villagers have no objection if the new access was to improve traffic flow, but added: “However we would strongly object to the application if it was used to facilitate aby further expansion of the Boomtown festival. We have already objected to the recent application to increase the capacity of Boomtown and it should be made clear that the local community and those with the best interests of the SDNP in mind are strongly opposed to any further growth of the festival.”

Michael Beer, of Petersfield Road, Hockley, said: “I consider this to be the most recent example of ‘deceitful mission creep’ at Matterley Farm. This cancerous expansion is progressing year on year with no effort by the national park to control it for the greater good.”