Plans for a jazz festival in Sidmouth next year appeared to be on hold this week after it emerged that a licensing application had been withdrawn.

Sidmouth Town Council clerk Chris Holland confirmed to the Herald that "a licensing application for the festival has recently been withdrawn while the operators continue to work on a revised scheme incorporating feedback from councils and residents".

News of the festival, planned for June 2 to June 5 next year, had triggered a number of complaints from residents who live near the Ham, where the event is due to be staged.
Some who contacted this newspaper were concerned that music and drinking could go on into the early hours.
Others welcomed the event, saying it was an ideal tonic after more than a year of lockdown.
But a spokesperson for East Devon District Council, the licensing authority, told the Herald: “There is still sufficient time for the applicant to seek the necessary consents and licences upon conclusion of the planning stages referred to by Sidmouth Town Council.”