BOOMTOWN organisers will today hear if Winchester licensing chiefs are to allow its growth to 60,000 revellers.

The event has applied for a new premises licence that will allow an increase from 50,000 people at the event at Matterley Bowl by Cheesefoot Head.

At attempt in April to confirm the increase with a minor variation application was rejected by the city council who argued the changes could not be considered 'minor'.

Today the licensing committee will met to consider the application which is approved would apply to this year's event on August 11-13.

The BoomTown plans also include a new 2,000 capacity car park with access on to the A272. Most access in the past has been off the A31.

The size of the site will increase with some stages on higher ground at the southern edge.

The application is for live music until midnight on Thursday night, 4am on Saturday and Sunday and midnight on Monday.

The application has met opposition with 12 objectors, including the Upper Itchen Valley Society, Tichborne Parish Council and villagers in Cheriton South Downs National Park Authority has also objected over the noise nuisance.

The police have not objected because they believe appropriate measures are in place.

The city council own environment health department says it does not have concerns about the capacity increase. But Abigail Toms, environmental health manager, said the enlarged site and stages at the southern side threatened noise pollution for people living in Owslebury and Morestead.

The South Downs National Park said it has "apprehensions to the increase in capacity. We question how suitable the site is given the remote rural location for staging the expanding large-scale music festival if the event organisers intend to continue to grow in the future."

Alison Matthews, chairman of the Upper Itchen Valley Society, said traffic was the major problem. Local residents particularly from Avington and Itchen Abbas are seriously inconvenienced by the gap closures (on the A31) particularly when trying to go to work in the Southampton direction on the Monday morning."

The owner of the Matterley Estate, Peveril Bruce, has often said he believes the site is easily big enough to cope with the new numbers. Last year the festival attracted a record 46,000 people.