Osprey Protection Costs TITP

Commenting about his company’s financials in The Courier, he explained the reasons for DF Concerts’ pre-tax profit falling from £6.24 million to £3.6 million in 2015 – the year Scotland’s biggest festival moved 20 miles up from Balado to Starthallan Castle.

“It’s probably obvious to observers that moving site for one of the world’s biggest music festivals would cost significant amounts of money. We were clear about this at the time of the move and it’s why we asked for help,” he is quoted.

What added significantly to the costs was the discovery of an Osprey nest shortly before the first edition at Strathallan. He said the measures implemented to protect the birds cost DF Concerts £1 million annually. Ellis continued: “It is ridiculous that these additional costs are due to the fact that we are constrained by and required to comply with onerous, inflexible full planning conditions – most of them not relating to the ospreys, but that are only necessary because of the ospreys.

“The sad irony is that we have now proven for two years, beyond all doubt, that the osprey does not only exist but actually successfully thrives alongside one of the world’s biggest music festivals. But still, we are treated the same way for a temporary event on one weekend as if we were a permanent development.”