The Facts about Driffield Festival's Licences

In March 2004, East Riding of Yorkshire Council adopted a policy for costs associated with the use of council land.
This meant commercial operators would be charged a market rent for the use of such land to hold events, and also costs incurred by the council in administering and processing land use applications and the staff time involved to prepare for the event or assist in managing it.
Non-profit making organisations or charities would not be charged for the use of land to hold events, but would be charged for costs incurred in administering and processing land use applications and the staff time involved to prepare for the event or assist in managing it.
This policy ensures consistency in  dealing with the various events held in the East Riding. It also ensures there is adequate public liability insurance cover and that acceptable health and safety standards are maintained.
Many event organisers are not always aware of their own liability in connection with public liability issues and health and safety requirements.
The council's policy ultimately protects the general public, event organisers, and the council itself.
With regards to the 2006 Driffield Festival, the funfair owner was charged £150 market rent as a commercial business. The town council was charged £300 to be able to hold the annual festival on East Riding of Yorkshire Council land for five years. This equates to £60 a year.
North End Park was transferred from the former East Yorkshire Borough Council to the ownership of East Riding of Yorkshire Council in 1996.

Councillor Felicity Temple said: "It is strange that the town council has waited until after the festival  to raise this issue and that they then seem surprised.  
"They knew about the licences back in December 2005 when they had a similar five-year licence to hold their Christmas Fayre in Middle Street, at the same price, and similarly I would suspect they had to pay the same for their Easter Market on Cross Hill Car Park.  
"I would normally take exception to being called a thief and a fool, but as it is Driffield Town Council it rather runs off my back. I think £60 a year for the knowledge that all the risks have been professionally evaluated is reasonable.  
"They have not been charged any rent for the 12 hours or so they used the park. After all, as they say, it is a public park, and I would guess that not all the public actually attended so others were therefore deprived of the normal use of the park during the festival.
"As to the funfair operator, it is a commercial venture. Perhaps the town council should have negotiated exactly how much they would profit from it being on the park beforehand, instead of being short changed in this way. Although there again, if a commercial venture wanted to use the town's community centre for 12 hours they would have to pay £120, and that's just to hire one room."