Lights go out for popular Beecraigs festive event

A row has broken out after West Lothian Council refused permission for this year’s Beecraigs Festive Forest to take place due to Covid-19.
The Beecraigs Festive Forest attraction held just outside Linlithgow at Beecraigs Country Park.The Beecraigs Festive Forest attraction held just outside Linlithgow at Beecraigs Country Park.
The Beecraigs Festive Forest attraction held just outside Linlithgow at Beecraigs Country Park.

Organisers Rowen Events Limited were left disappointed last week following West Lothian Council’s decision to refuse an entertainment licence for the popular attraction held annually just outside Linlithgow at Beecraigs Country Park.

The council defended its decision on public safety grounds, given the current Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions, adding that other similar events were granted permission pre-Covid.

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Beecraigs Festive Forest attracted 24,000 visitors to its inaugural event last year and had already sold 20,000 tickets for this year.

The Beecraigs Festive Forest attraction held just outside Linlithgow at Beecraigs Country Park.The Beecraigs Festive Forest attraction held just outside Linlithgow at Beecraigs Country Park.
The Beecraigs Festive Forest attraction held just outside Linlithgow at Beecraigs Country Park.

In a statement the directors of Rowen Events, Roy Snedden and Ewen McMartin, said: “We are utterly astonished and frustrated by this decision. We followed every piece of advice we were given by Scottish Government to the letter.

“To be then told by West Lothian Council, three weeks before we open, that our actions were pointless was a kick in the teeth to all our dedicated team who have worked so hard to give thousands of families something special to look forward to this Christmas after a very tough year for us all..

“What makes the decision all the more baffling is that they have allowed two other similar events to go ahead less than 10 miles away in West Lothian. How is that fair?”

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The Scottish Government recently reclassified illuminated trails as “visitor attractions” which allowed them to continue to stay open. However, in their objection to the licence being granted, the local authority questioned Scottish Government’s powers to class the event as such.

The directors added: “We asked for clarification on the refusal and we didn’t receive any answers at all.

“We are still waiting. In the meantime, what do we tell our 20,000 ticket holders if we don’t know the reasons behind their decision?

“I dare say they will need to ask West Lothian Council directly why very similar events can continue a few miles away but Beecraigs Festive Forest cannot. It’s nonsensical.”

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A West Lothian Council spokesperson said: “It is unfortunate that the Beecraigs Festive Forest event is unable to take place this year due to public safety concerns around the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We supported this event last year and would engage with organisers regarding future events.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has led to similar concerns over other festive events that attract crowds leading to their cancellation, including Edinburgh’s Christmas Market and the Enchanted Forest event in Pitlochry.

“Whilst is it regrettable that the Covid-19 pandemic continues to impact on events and the day-to-day lives of people, public safety is the overriding factor in the decision not to issue the licences sought for the event.”

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“The Licensing Committee decide each application on its own merits. It is not a like-for-like comparison to compare this new application with any other local attractions which have existing licences in place.

“There is never a guarantee that a licence application will be granted, which the Festive Forest organisers would have been aware of when they submitted their applications in October.

“At this time, West Lothian was placed on Level 3 of the Scottish Government’s Covid-19 Protection Levels due to the high levels of transmission. People were also advised not to travel out with their local authority area as part of a range of measure aimed at bringing down the transmission rate, which would allow the protection level for West Lothian to be reduced.

“Every council area in Scotland’s Central Belt has been placed on this second-highest level to try and reduce the spread of the virus, and it was also announced this week that the UK is the first nation in Europe to exceed 50,000 deaths due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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“This shows that Covid-19 pandemic still poses a huge risk, so public safety and risk of transmission much be a key factor in considering any new license for an event which attracts crowds.”

The council added that the organisers were present at the Licensing Committee and were provided with the reasons as to why this decision was made.

A petition has been set-up calling on the council to reconsider the decision to refuse Beecraigs Festive Forest an entertainment licence for the trail.