Noise rules relaxed for South Central Festival

A two-day music festival is set to host up to 40,000 revellers after a council relaxed noise regulations.

Organisers of the South Central Festival in Portsmouth faced having their licence revoked if they failed to manage decibel levels.

But after hearing the condition would be "untenable", councillors agreed festival promoters should just "aim to comply" with the targets.

The festival replaces the Mutiny one at which two people died last year.

Neil Roberts, from the South Central team, told a Portsmouth City Council committee meeting on Monday that while organisers had managed to meet noise targets in the past, it was "like walking a tightrope".

The festival will run between 25-26 May and will see nearly 20,000 attending each day.