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Private island festival plans rejected

Google A view of an island in the Thames, seen from a nearby road. There are boats in the foreground and around the island there are boats moored. There are trees around, some in leaf and others are bare while there are white clouds in the sky.Google
The island is in the River Thames near Weybridge

Plans for a summer concert on a private island have been cancelled over health and safety concerns.

D'Oyly Carte island, in the River Thames, hosted three days of music and entertainment as part of the Weybridge Festival over a weekend in July 2024.

Councillors have issued a notice to stop the event going ahead in 2025, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The island's owner, Andy Hill, said that before last year's event organisers met with police, health and safety, noise control, ambulance service and others to make sure they held an event safe for the public.

He added: "These bodies made some good recommendations and, at a cost of over £35,000, we implemented them all with the associated risk assessments.

"The outcome from these recommendations and the associated investment was no injuries, no complaints, no arrests, no drugs and no disorder, just a flood of compliments."

He said his application was a repeat of the event held in 2024 on the island, which is named after the London theatre impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte, who bought it in the late 19th Century.

Mr D'Oyly Carte built the Savoy Hotel and produced the first operettas from Gilbert And Sullivan.

Getty Images A black and white photo of Richard D'Oyly Carte who has a beard and moustache and is wearing a heavy suit with a bow tie. He is looking at the camera and his dark hair has a side parting.Getty Images
The island is named after former owner Richard D'Oyly Carte

Surrey Police and environmental health representatives said the application lacked important safety information, including preventing members of the public falling into the river.

"We don't want to wait for a tragedy to happen," said Lucy Marriot, from Surrey Police at Elmbridge Borough Council's licensing meeting on Tuesday.

One bridge connects the mainland to the island but council officers said no evidence had been given whether it could hold the weight of up to 500 people if they left at the same time.

"I hope you don't see it as health and safety gone mad," the officer said.

A spokesperson from the council said the environmental health team and the police had "no choice" but to object to the application.

Mr Hill said there had been heavy investment in bringing the island "back to life".

"These activities include the community on our journey to renovate this amazing piece of history and culture in Weybridge," he added.

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