Council chiefs have been asked to consider imposing a new range of security measures as the review of this summer’s T in the Park music festival gets under way.
MSP Liz Smith met local authority leaders to push for extra safeguards after a spate of tragedies cast a shadow over the event.
The meeting on Tuesday afternoon has set the ball rolling on a series of talks to establish Perth and Kinross Council’s official response to festival organisers DF Concerts.
Over the coming weeks, council staff will assess the 2016 event using feedback from festival goers, residents and Police Scotland.
While T in the Park boss Geoff Ellis has been praised for conquering major traffic problems which plagued the 2015 show, there have been calls for major changes following the deaths of three revellers.
All three deaths have been linked to drugs, triggering calls for a clampdown on illegal substances.
The father of 17-year-old Megan Bell, who died after collapsing in the Slam tent, has called for an inquest into his daughter’s death. He has also launched an online campaign to set age restrictions on all UK music festivals.
DF Concerts will still need to secure a public entertainment licence from the council’s licensing committee before next year’s show can go ahead.
Ms Smith said there was “widespread concern” about this summer’s show.
“A great deal of hard work was put in by all the organisers to address the 2015 problems about access and traffic management,” she said. “But the issue of public safety remains key to the future success of this event.
“It is important we collect the facts and, on the back of calls for an inquest from the parent of one of the deceased teenagers, we must take all these matters very seriously indeed.
“We cannot have a situation where safety is at risk and those who attend the event feel in any way frightened about what might happen.”
She said she plans to discuss concerns with DF Concerts at a later meeting.
“I will be asking organisers about policing and stewarding, about additional measures to control the consumption of drinks and drugs and whether more can be done to tighten security at the gates and in the campsite areas.
“I have received a large mailbag about T in the Park 2016 – much of it from veterans of the festival – some of whom have made, in my opinion, very sensible suggestions about what needs to happen to make improvements.”
She added: “Ultimately, it is a matter for Perth and Kinross Council what happens next, but there is an important debate to be had before that decision is taken.”
No one from the council or DF Concerts was available to comment on the meeting.
Earlier this week, Police Scotland chief superintendent Paul Anderson gave his support to the festival, but said the three deaths linked to this year’s event were “desperately sad”.
