THE future of a Wellington music festival is unknown after plans for its fifth year were halted for health and safety reasons.

Welliestock, which was set to take place at Court Fields School on June 30, will no longer go ahead in its planned location as organisers say police vetoed the location.

Organiser, Huw Weston, said that police decided the venue did not satisfy health and safety concerns.

The search for a new location has begun.

Mr Weston said: “It is with a very heavy heart that we announce that we will be unable to hold Welliestock at Court Fields School this summer. Months of planning and positive discussions have taken place between ourselves and the relevant licensing authorities, but senior police personnel have now taken the view that the nature of the site is such that it will not enable us to satisfy their legitimate health and safety concerns, irrespective of any additional practical and organisational changes which we might be able to incorporate into our event management plan.

“This weekend has not been an easy time for us and today is a very very sad day indeed following four wonderful Welliestock events, but we are continuing to work very closely with so many others to find another suitable site for the event this year.”

Mr Weston says that he hopes to find a new site soon, but if none can be found, tickets will be refunded.

He added: “We would like to say a huge thanks to Court Fields School for their incredible support as we all felt this was a wonderful site to host Welliestock on for the next few years. We are hoping to secure a new site within the next few weeks. If this does not materialise then we will have no option but to cancel Welliestock 2018 and work with the relevant authorities in making Welliestock 2019 the event we had hoped for this year. We will then arrange times for tickets to be refunded. Sorry.”