A statement from organisers Fire and Ice Productions said: “It is with great regret and disappointment that we have to deliver the news that for reasons beyond our control the Big Kahuna 2016 will no longer be going ahead. “Following the granting of our licence in April and after extensive meetings with the council, it has become apparent that a small but vocal opposition to the event has meant that insurmountable hurdles have been put in place. “As a result the continued promoting of the event would be irresponsible to our suppliers and ticket holders. “Those of you who have purchased tickets have been sent an e-mail regarding your refund. “Obviously we are bitterly disappointed to be bringing you this news, after months of hard work to bring what we believe would have been an outstanding event to the area. “I am very proud of the team and what they achieved and would like to thank everyone who has supported this event. “If you have any questions please e-mail info@bigkahunafestival.co.uk” Organisers had planned to have The Happy Mondays headline the festival, with between 7,000 and 10,000 people attending. Their licensing application was approved on April 4 this year, despite strong objections from a number of local residents, who said they were concerned about noise disturbance, extra traffic, and fire risk. A total of 136 people wrote or emailed the council to object, which council officers said was the most for any licensing application HDC had dealt with. During the licensing meeting, Alasdair Adam, director of Fire and Ice Productions, said: “We have put in a lot of work to make sure we listen to concerns of residents.” But Andrew Finnegan, who lives in Holmbush House, said they would not be able to enjoy their properties for three to four days and could have to endure an ‘unacceptable level of nuisance’. Steve Garley, speaking on behalf of Colgate Parish Council, said they would like people visiting Faygate and Colgate but did not want to see 4,000 cars and 10,000 people turning up. After the meeting residents of Faygate and Colgate said they were ‘appalled’ and ‘disappointed’ by the decision, having raised concerns around the noise disturbance to nearby homes, traffic, and fire risk. Sheila Marley, chairman of Colgate Parish Council, said: “We are terribly disappointed with the verdict. Why were the proposed changes not forwarded to us?” Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live. Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on. 1) Make our website your homepage 2) Like our Facebook page 3) Follow us on Twitter 4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here. And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out! Always the first with your local news. Be part of it.