RESIDENTS are preparing to fight plans for a two-day music and food festival on a field in a quiet village.

Black Jacket Events has submitted a licence application to Tendring Council to host the event on a strip of land near Marsh Farm, off Wivenhoe Road, Alresford.

If the alcohol and live entertainment licence is approved, the event could bring about 5,000 people to the area over the August Bank Holiday.

However residents like George Martin are campaigning against the plans, claiming the event would affect the village’s rural way of life.

Mr Martin, who is also a parish councillor, said: “The application says it will be for up to 5,000 people but the site is just a muddy field.

“There are bridleways nearby and people are really concerned, particularly those who live around the area. There is no proper access, there are no on-site facilities and no infrastructure to support it.

“Due to where the site is situated, you will hear the noise over a very wide area and it will affect Wivenhoe and Elmstead as well.”

Mr Martin said residents in the immediate vicinity were worried about the impact a “noisy” event would have on their livestock. However William Grinsted, owner of Black Jacket Events, promised the event had been designed with the community in mind.

He said: “We do not want to be a public nuisance and so we have applied to limit ourselves to four events on the field per year.

“I am not expecting carte blanche to do whatever we want.

“We are applying to serve alcohol, but it is a small community driven event for families.

“I think it is a very positive thing for the community.

“You will never please everyone but I feel everyone must have the full information before making a judgement.”

Alresford Parish Council will discuss the application at a meeting tomorrow.

Tendring Council’s licensing committee will have the final say on the plans.