Green Light For TITP

Scotland’s T In The Park Festival has been given the go-ahead, despite more than 1,600 letters of objection to the event.

Photo: Courtesy T in The Park

Following a 90-minute meeting of the development management committee of Perth & Kinross Council May 12, the festival was approved for the next three years, so its local impact can be fully assessed.

“We’re happy that the committee has approved our application and our team can get on with the plans for a fantastic first year of T In The Park at Strathallan Castle,” said T In The Park chief Geoff Ellis. “We’d like to thank the business and tourism sector who recognise the value of the event as one of Scotland’s national treasures and offered tremendous support throughout the process.”

Last year, a survey by EKOS showed that the event generates £2.7 million for the local economy and £15.4 for Scotland as a whole. This year’s festival, which is to take place July 10-12 with a bill that includes Kasabian, The Libertines, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, The Prodigy, and David Guetta, was put in doubt after concerns that the event would disturb a pair of ospreys that appeared to have set up a nest on the Strathallan Estate site.

The large bird of prey is provided the highest possible protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act and it is a criminal offense to disturb them during the nesting and breeding season Now in its 22nd year, the 85,000-capacity festival – which usually sells out – was forced to move from its previous site at Balado, near Kinross, due to an underground pipeline being laid through the site.

After a two-year search, festival organisers chose to move to Strathallan Castle. The other acts on the T In The Park bill include Jessie J, Paloma Faith, St. Vincent, Twin Atlantic, Jessie Ware, Fatboy Slim, and Rudimental.