The man behind T in the Park has stated Scotland’s biggest music festival may be lost for good if it does not go ahead this year in Perthshire.
Geoff Ellis, of DF Concerts, told BBC Scotland he feels there isn’t another suitable venue to hold the mammoth event following nesting ospreys casting severe doubt on whether it will get planning permission for Strathallan Castle Estate.
Since T in the Park were forced to move from Balado, Kinross-shire, due to concerns over an underground pipeline, their plans to host the festival in Perthshire have been mired in controversy.
Locals have raised concerns over possible traffic problems and environmental groups have claimed the site is unsuitable. Matters came to a head last week with the arrival of nesting ospreys.
Pressure group Strathallan T Action Group (STAG) claim to have seen video footage which shows the protected birds nesting in an old nest meaning T in the Park would need to create a new buffer zone to eliminate disturbance to the ospreys.
Mr Ellis told the BBC he feels Scotland needs T in the Park due to it bringing more than £15m to the economy but admitted its future is now in doubt.
“I don’t think there is a venue without going very far north in Scotland which would be viable for T in the Park, so yes, I don’t think it would carry on if we didn’t host it at Strathallan this year.”
Thousands of tickets have already been sold for this year’s event, which has The Libertines, Kasabian and Noel Gallagher’s Flying Birds set to play in front of 85,000 revellers.
Perth and Kinross Council will decide the fate of the festival in May.