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17
May 2021
Deer Shed festival outlines social distancing measures
One of the country’s leading family-oriented festivals has outlined some of the public health measures it will introduce to ensure safety at this year's revamped event.
The annual Deer Shed Festival was cancelled because of problems securing covid cancellation insurance.
Instead, organisers have created Deer Shed: Base Camp Plus, which is a smaller camping festival from July 30 and August 1 at Baldersby, on the edge of the Harrogate district.
Ahead of tickets going on sale tomorrow, its director Oliver Jones said it would be run on a socially-distanced basis, rather than testing attendees, to maintain as much of the festival’s distinctiveness as possible.
Even though the event doesn't take place until the end of July, it has been designed to meet step three restrictions in the government’s roadmap, which came into force this week.
Mr Jones, who runs the festival on 90 acres of parkland, said the decision had meant it could feature the likes of comedians John Shuttleworth, Mark Watson, and Flo and Joan as well as female-fronted music headliners Jane Weaver, Dream Wife and Porridge Radio.
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While recent runnings of the festival have seen about 10,000 people attending, organisers say as a result of social distancing requirements there would be fewer than 4,000 festival-goers at this year's Base Camp Plus event.
Those attending will need to wear masks in covered areas and the event will feature table bar service.
Among measures festival organisers will introduce to meet public health tests, being led by North Yorkshire County Council, include that each of the 850 camping pitches will have a toilet alongside.
Mr Jones said:
A spokesman for the council said all such events would be reviewed by the local safety advisory group, which would consider if the event organiser was ensuring all mitigations were in place to protect the public.
Checks for the festival will include that it can demonstrate safe and effective management of crowd density, how queues can be managed effectively, its ability to ensure the use of face coverings and enhanced cleaning, hand washing and hygiene procedures. For details, visit deershedfestival.com/basecampplus.
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