“Once again big money rules over local community. Whats the betting that none of the Magistrates who granted the licence live nearby???”

“Just heard The hop farm has been granted permission to have a festival for 53,000 people with 20,000 camping, bring it on!”

“Jack said-"The residents in East Peckham opposing this should accept the fact that they live right next to a major exhibition ground This fact has not suddenly happened, its been like this for a long time now."-Well thats the whole point my friend, when we moved here the Hop Farm wasnt a "major" exhibition ground nor was it a music festival site this has only happened in recent years much to local residents growing annoyance! If its got to happen why not do it at Brands Hatch race circuit? They are used to the continuous noise over there.”

“I'd sign the petition in favour of a decent music festival. On the condition that the acts performing were not the usual x-craptor sugababes aloud generic teenybop poo thats poisoned our music industry. If the music festival was a genuine attempt at putting on a good show and not just another Radio1 party in the park money earner. Then I'd be very interested in going.

I live in Paddock Wood and suffer inconvenience whenver War & Peace is on, or any big event at the hopfarm. Many times I cant get back home due to traffic congestion. Or find my local Waitrose packed with army jeeps driven by weird uniformed gun nuts. Their tanks/cars/jeeps clog up the roads, cause congestion and delays on seven mile lane.

Yes at the time its a pain. Do I think War & Peace should stop ? No. Because the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

The residents in East Peckham opposing this should accept the fact that they live right next to a major exhibition ground. This fact has not suddenly happened, its been like this for a long time now. If they cant accept this, then move elsewhere to live out your insular self centred lives.”

“I agree with Harry. Jennifer,its a 5 day 11am to 2am the following morning event, plus with build time, soundchecks and then breakdown in reality it will probably run into 7 days. If this event got the go ahead then it would be much harder for the council to refuse events of this scale happening more often as well. The hop farm still make a valid contribution to the area with what they do now thank you..if they really wanted to invest in the area they could celebrate the history of farming,brewing, etc in Kent and our fastly disappearing countryside as a whole. As for its location in Beltring, Google Earth the hop farm and look at how many of our houses and gardens in East Peckham back onto the Farm. Perhaps they could relocate the "one off" event to the truck park they proposed to build for operation stack on the M20 on a week when its not being used? ..think of the income it would bring to the locals in Ashford! I'm sure the locals wouldnt complain about that would they? what's a couple of thousand trucks parked in your back garden or maybe 53000 people for a week whats the problem? hmm? I shall watch out on Meridian News for that one (again!)”

“Oh Harry, from East Peckham, OH DEAR OH DEAR Yet again it's a case of not in my backyard how sad it is for you that you really do not have a complaint if you indeed live in East Peckham and NOT in Beltring which is where THE HOP FARM IS! and so have no call to have a valid complaint, and again there are these Type of persons they are called NIMBY's who are not just in and around,your area, they of course everywhere they say they only want the peace and quiet, so why did they move to a village and not in in the deep countryside,where they should be able to cut thereselves off from everyone but also not expect to have the services or any other provisions which are provided tor them that they may also expect to obtain in the larger Villages or Towns, and as this is Beltring Hop Farm and has always been a Farm Countryside Estate of which there is a long history of a Group of Farm Buildings and Oast Houses which from the at the very beginning and after the hop farm ceased trading the Brewery then tried to help to establish and encourage local employment and therebye give the locals some little way back to employment as a means of earning a living, from the hop farm days and have used their influence by encouraging initially the Shire Horses for their Holidays , thus bringing the publics attention to Betring so sharing their Previous Working Heritage, and so allows this to continue on through today and onward into tomorrow, so now how sad that in this modern day and age we cannot welcome a new entrenpeneural experience which could and will if given the chance be a sucess bringing income into the area without causing too much hassle and heartache a Bright New type of Feastival which I understand is being planned to be set up correctly for the benefit of all, all this without the proliferation of the added extra commercialisation which is usually involved and of course the added exploitation that has previously happened as we know elsewhere within the UK and as Damon of TWells is quite correct that they (the providers) will have to ensure that all the HSE issues and safety items will be in place so there will be no problem with the neccessary publics safety and the emergency services covering all of these aspects will be in place at the correct time and with the safety of the public & surrounding residents being paramount at all times at no cost to these residents,so that ALL persons will be SAFE both those who will be staying within their homes, and also those elsewhere in the area and nearby to enjoy the Feastival and also the surrounding areas of EAST PECKHAM the area will be well looked after as well as the immediate Residents of Beltring so shall we say BE GRATEFUL THAT PEOPLE WANT TO SPEND THEIR HARD EARNED MONEY IN YOUR AREA , in this credit crunch time and help US All out of these lean times ahead SO please please stop complaining and support and get behind any attempt to get us out of the credit hole we have all been put in by other persons whose ideals were inflated and caused us the present monetary problems, so start by getting involved in PROGRESS
and thus help yourself and everyone else to ensure that it becomes a treasure for you and your families future, A welcome place to welcome guests and enjoy good music, good food, great hospitality, in a wonderful heritage site close by which you and your family and their children do enjoy and can welcome the rest of the world to come and enjoy in the wonderful countryside on your doorstep, be it only for three day a year but it would put Beltring on the map now and in the future for many years to come ,which will benefit everyone do you not think that such a price is worth considering for the inconvenience of Just 3 short DAYS??? which is the same as the
Glastonbury Feastival Site in Somerset
(please refer to beautiful Pilton AKA Glastonbury for further details on how to run a successful festival) and note the monertary gains and”

“I would welcome a petition to save a three-day music festival. If the locals can petition, why cant we? Harry, I do live in Tunbridge Wells and I do not live in East Peckham; if i did I would still approve of having a festival of performing arts on my doorstep. Someone said to me last week, "how would I like to have a festival going on at the end of my road - or at least in hearing distance" I said I would like to have something like that going on near me as I have to travel hundreds of miles every year to attend these sort of events. As for the "supermarket on site", ALL festivals will have on site one or many small convenience stores which ensures the "music lovers" can get essential items without going off site whilst the festival is going on. So this would only be helpful to the festival. The local trade would be benefitted by the incoming of "party people " stocking up prior to the festival and upon thier departure, they would visit the nearest shops for their food and drink needs again. (please refer to beautiful Pilton AKA Glastonbury for further details on how to run a successful festival)

As for your comment "We don't need people from out of the area ruining it" - that sounds just like the sort of thing the shop keeper from Royston Vasey would say on a league of gentleman.... hmm so I take it you would be better off without Paddock Wood Railway Station as well because you dont want that sort of people coming in to spend their hard earned cash. Or visiting your local pubs...Lets go the whole hog then. Lets cut off any links with your area?

From a funny side and onto a serious note, please can whoever is putting together the petition heavily canvas East Peckham and the surrounding areas, including Tunbridge Wells; if the petition goes online and you need help with a website let me know by leaving a message on this comment page.

Good luck, and hopefully we can all work together for a good time.”

“Having read the inspired response to the Councils unanimous rejection of the Hop Farms application to increase their attendance allowance to 52,999 people, I would like to point out that all those who appear in favour do not live in the area! To Duncan of P Wood I would say it is not 3 days out of 365. We have to live with the disruption every time the "Farm" has its large events. I would suggest that Oliver Care uses his words more prudently. The number of people who have said to me - "I will go away to escape the noise & intrusion & let the Hop Farm pay!" Oliver it will cost you dearly!!
The Hop Farm (dare I say that?) used to be just that.
What is it now? A scrap yard for derelict HGV trailers spaced along the By-Pass. A beautiful scene for passing tourists of what this area was renowned for? No. We have what looks like a very unkempt passing circus attraction which hopefully will disband. Any relation to the local area has been lost. It is a mess.
Finally, I would have loved Damon of Tunbridge Wells to have been at the hearing for the "licence". He comments about the event "adding greatly to the business economy of the area" Does he know that the Hop Farm was planning to set up its own Supermarket in their grounds?
We are not killjoys. We like to live in OUR backyard! We don't need people from out of the area ruining it.

PS I hope that anyone who supports the Hop Farm on this application does not have need for getting Emergency Services to or through the area.”