Following a statement issued by Mendip District Council on Sunday regarding the cancellation of the Big Green Gathering, the council would like to issue the following update:

Following a decision by the Big Green Gathering to cancel its event by surrendering the licence, this has meant that Mendip District Council has not needed to apply to the High Court for an injunction to stop the event.

The failure of the organisers to address a number of serious public safety issues meant that they had no other option but to cancel it themselves.

The fact is that organisers chose to surrender the licence before an application was made to the High Court.

The final decision to prepare legal papers for a High Court hearing was made on Friday evening (July 24), but a court application was not expected to be made until yesterday (Monday, July 27).

In addition to the several months of help and advice they had been given by both us and emergency services, the weekend provided even more opportunity for the organisers to fulfil their licence obligations. However, they handed their licence back to us on Sunday morning (July 26).

Many hours of council time have been committed to help make this event happen, but the lack of assurances from the organisers about the safety of their event were continually causing concern for the council and emergency services.

There has been an apparent lack of coordination in managing and meeting the obligations of the licence, and now the cancellation of this event creates many more issues and a heavier workload for the council and emergency services than if it had gone ahead safely. Mendip is a council which is recognised nationally with its partners for licensing large events.

The bottom line is we know about licensing festivals, and therefore would not have taken a decision to consider legal action lightly. Preparing for legal action is a last resort.

All festivals, no matter how big or small, must go through a strict licensing process with public safety and crime and disorder playing a major part in that process.

A number of untrue accusations are circulating throughout the media and on internet sites. These are without substance.

The council's decision to pursue an injunction was a last resort. It only considered such action because the organisers did not fulfil their obligations under the licence.

The council recognises people's frustrations but despite the best efforts of the council and emergency services, the event was cancelled by the organisers because the requirements of the licence were not met.