The organisers of a successful socially-distanced festival in Old Town want to expand it next year.

But they face opposition from neighbours of the venue in Town Gardens and Swindon Borough Council’s licensing manager.

Fandango Productions runs Swindon Summer Bowl – a series of arts and community events running until the end of the month in the bowl area of the park in Quarry Road.

The company has applied for a new licence to be able to show films, play live and recorded music and for the performance of dance as well as alcohol sales Tuesday to Sunday across the whole of the Town Gardens.

Its boss Thomas Falding said: “We're looking to licence the whole park to allow for growth. Town Gardens is one of Swindon’s few pleasure gardens, situated in the centre of Old Town.

“It’s a gated park that, thanks to its layout, provides a number of unique spaces which lend themselves well for hosting events.”

This year the festival features DJs, bands and comedy events, yoga and circus skills classes and differently themes food offerings, including vegan specials, curry Thursday and pizza parties on Saturday nights, with events running Friday to Sunday.

If the new licence is granted, next year's festival could see different events on every day except Mondays.

Four neighbours have written to Swindon Borough Council’s licensing panel, which meets tomorrow to consider the application, objecting to noise.

Sally Austen said: “On Friday and Saturday, the music was only just audible for most of the evening with my double-glazed windows and doors closed, but on Sunday, when there was a live band, the noise level was far higher and quite disruptive, even with doors and windows firmly closed and making it impossible to be outdoors.

“ I fully appreciate that the Bowl is a great location which provides the ability for socially-distanced entertainment in the current circumstances, I do not object to events taking place at weekends.

"I do object to having events every night of the week, except Monday, as it is not fair to residents who should have the right to enjoy more than one peaceful evening a week relaxing in their homes or gardens.”

In response Mr Falding said: “The ideas we have for the venue don’t require us to be particularly loud.

“For example I wouldn’t put it in the same category as a festival where you might expect long periods of loud noise. We want people to be able to converse while at the venue rather be drowned out by a band. This said, we would still like to have performance, music, bands and we will for sure be producing some noise.”

He offered to agree a noise level with the council above which events must not go.

The council’s licensing manager Kathryn Ashton said: “I am concerned the use of the entire Town Gardens presents management difficulties given the number of entrances, exits, open access to public and monitoring of alcohol and security and a significantly greater capacity of approximately 7.000.”

The borough council’s licensing panel will consider the application at 10.30am tomorrow.