The leader of Perth and Kinross Council has launched a stinging attack on a government agency after bosses denied any responsibility for T in the Park’s change of venue.
Both organisers DF Concerts and the local authority had been determined to see the event continue at the Balado home it has occupied for 17 years.
That was before threats of legal action were made by the Health and Safety Executive.
It warned that safety concerns over a major oil pipeline beneath the Balado site meant the event could not continue.
That opposition could have jeopardised the millions of pounds that come into the Perth and Kinross economy each year.
In a new statement, however, the HSE’s Scotland director Alistair McNab has claimed any suggestion that it was behind the move was “out of tune with reality”.
That has prompted an angry response from Councillor Ian Miller, who said he was “furious” with the HSE’s position.
He has written to Mr McNab to express his anger, commenting that it was “solely the HSE intervention” that had resulted in the need for T in the Park to be moved.
In his statement, Mr McNab denied such accusations, saying: “HSE is an adviser to the planning system and has no power to prevent the event happening at its current or any other location.
“The likelihood of any major accident at the pipeline is low but, if one were to occur, the consequences would be catastrophic.
“I appreciate that some people are upset that the event is to change location, but would like to remind them that the decision has been taken by the organisers and not HSE.”
Such claims have been rubbished by Mr Miller, who said: “I cannot agree with these statements.
“The organisers were happy to stay at Balado and had no desire to move and the council’s consistent position had been to support the continued presence of the event at Balado.
“The HSE has made it clear from several meetings and discussions that if the council was to go against its objections in future, it would request that the matter would be called in by the Scottish ministers and, if necessary, HSE would take the matter to judicial review.”
Mr Miller highlighted a document in which HSE said the “risk of harm” to festival goers was too great for the event to be granted planning permission.
The executive warned that it could not “support a further application for large scale events within the pipeline consultation zone at Balado Park”.
Mr Miller added: “This clearly demonstrates that it was solely the HSE intervention that resulted in the need for T in the Park to be relocated”.