FEARS that 20,000 people will descend on a village for a summer solstice festival have been allayed.

People living in Brompton, North Yorkshire, were worried about the number of people expected to attend the Willowman Festival which, pending a successful licence application, will be held at Lenthor Farm, in the village.

But organiser Steve Williams and landowner and host Derek Plews said they were expecting, at the most, a tenth of that number.

If it goes ahead, the event will be the first three-day festival, with camping, in the area.

Mr Williams, of Viking Light and Sound, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, wants to stage the festival over the summer solstice weekend – June 18 to 20.

The ex-musical director of Scotland’s Wickerman Festival, which won the Best Grassroots Event in 2007, decided to launch the North Yorkshire equivalent after branching out on his own.

He chose the venue because of the success he has enjoyed there for the past four years with his Viking Volksfest, and he hopes the local community will support it.

The Willowman Festival is aimed at families and people over 40. “It is classed is a festival, but some people think either the best or the worst of them, depending on who they are,” said Mr Williams.

“Every positive effort has been made to do this safely and legally and all the licensing requirements have been fulfilled so far, but it is still very early.

We have a very good reputation for doing things right.”

Bands signed up so far include The Blokheads and The Beat. There will be children’s arts and crafts, a bouncy castle, face painting, and a funfair.

Mr Plews is also overseeing a pagan element to the festival, which will include natural healing workshops.

There will be camping on site, food, drink and toilets.

Mr Plews said: “We will have all the proper facilities.

I give the impression I have a cavalier approach, but I do do things by the book.”