There are fears Whitstable could become a “Glastonbury with oysters” this summer after plans for a campsite in a field surrounded by residential homes were revealed.

Organisers of the annual Oyster Festival plan to use the Church Street playing field off the Thanet Way as a camping site throughout this year’s event, sparking fears of disturbance and disruption for residents.

The festival, to be held from Saturday, July 25, to Friday, July 31, attracts more than 80,000 visitors every year and the camping field – called the Oyster Bed – will provide direct access to the festivities.

But independent Cllr Phil Cartwright, of Island Wall, fears the impact on residents.

He said: “It’s not the best thing in the middle of a residential area.

“Are people going to sneak nice and quietly into their tents at 10pm at night, or are they going to have a barbecue and party until 2am?

“It’s not going to go down well. It’s not the best idea anyone has ever come up with.

“You don’t want it to turn into a modern Glastonbury with oysters.”

Concerns about the campsite were raised at last week’s Whitstable Area Member Panel meeting, during which it was revealed planning permission is not needed for the site to go ahead.

The land earmarked is owned by the The Community College Whitstable.

The panel’s chairman Cllr Neil Baker (Con) said: “The problem is because the land is owned by community college it doesn’t need a licence or planning permission. There is no way of stopping it.

“It is surrounded by houses, and campsites by and large are in the open countryside where noise doesn’t matter – but people are living there.”

Oyster Festival coordinator James Penfold, from organisers The Event Umbrella, says the campsite’s location is not yet confirmed and they will take any concerns into consideration.

He said: “All these things are considered – they always are whenever we do something like this, to think of the people who live in the immediate area.

“It’s a big consideration. We all think it would be a really good thing and a big thing for the Oyster Festival to add this to it and give it another angle.

“People will see everything the town has to offer and it won’t be just a festival. It will be an amazing thing to add.

"It’s not the best idea anyone has ever come up with..." - Cllr Phil Cartwright

“It’s obviously a big thing to look at housing in the area when we weigh up the pros and cons.”

Canterbury City Council spokesman Rob Davies says The Event Umbrella has a three-year contract from the council to deliver the festival.

He said: “The contract with The Event Umbrella is focused on enabling the continued delivery of the Whitstable Oyster Festival as a sustainable community festival.

“The proposed campsite is not covered by the terms of the contract, as The Event Umbrella, as an independent company, may choose to develop their offer in order to support the sustainability of the festival.

“However, all activity is subject to review by a multi-agency group which incorporates the emergency services and county and city council officers.

“They review all plans to ensure that events are delivered in a way that optimises benefits while limiting any negative impact on neighbouring communities.

“The Event Umbrella also works closely with the Whitstable Oyster Festival Association as well as council officers to make sure that all planned activity is carefully considered and reflective of the spirit and heritage of the festival and the town.”