A ROW over timings of a popular music festival in Witney concluded amicably as councillors and organisers finally reached an agreement.

Organisers of Witney Music Festival accepted a finishing time of 11pm for the event at Witney Town Council’s annual general meeting on Wednesday.

Previously the two sides had clashed over the finishing time of the event - which will be held on The Leys, owned by the council, on August 17 and 18.

Councillors wanted to end all events on public land at 11pm. A motion to that effect was put forward and approved at the meeting.

While music was planned to finish at that time anyway, organisers of the festival had wanted a fun fair at their event to end at midnight on both days.

They had argued that this proposal was made on police advice in order to prevent thousands of people leaving at once and causing safety issues.

Councillors, who said all public events needed to abide by the same rules, had said that the event had run smoothly in recent years without the extension in time.

On Wednesday however, festival organiser and former chairman Derek West said that ‘in view of concerns’ the team behind the event would be ‘happy to forego’ a request for an extension to midnight.

A 'chill-out period' after the event, largely designed to give festival volunteers and musicians a chance to wind down after it finishes, will be allowed to go ahead until 2am.