DOG festival Woof­stock UK is heading for Dartmouth after being given the go-ahead by South Hams Council.

The festival has been held for the last two years in Dorset, but organiser Heather Nesbitt, from Black­awton, is moving the event to Coronation Park.

Ms Nesbitt broadcast live on Facebook to say the festival would be going ahead in August next year.

She said the district council have been ‘quite supportive’, the town council ‘were not so keen’.

She said: ‘One councillor doesn’t support any animal charities at all’ and that another had been worried about parking in the town.

She added parking worries were ‘a bit silly really’ as the town hosts the Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta every year which ‘brings in 60,000 people’ and mentions the ‘brilliant’ park and ride service.

She said Dartmouth’s district and councillors Jonathan Hawkins, Rose Rowe and Hilary Bastone had written to South Hams Council officers, giving Woof­stock UK their ‘wholehearted support’.

She said she was ‘absolutely delighted’ to say the application had been approved and that ‘Woofstock is coming to Dartmouth on August 5, 2017!’

She thanked local businesses and everyone who had supported the event and said she was ‘absolutely over the moon’.

Cllr Jonathan Hawk­ins said: ‘I think its a good idea. Anything that brings money and trade into Dartmouth is great.’

But town councillor Gina Coles she had some ‘serious concerns’ about the town hosting Woofstock.

She said she was worried about the proximity of the children’s play area too close to where dog faeces could be left, saying ‘its difficult to pick up every bit’.

She added she ‘didn’t think the traders will make that much money’ as Woof­stock will be bringing in trade stalls.

She said the weekend of August 5, at the height of the summer holiday season, would be busy anyway. She said: ‘I don’t think that weekend is one where we need to bring in any more trade.’

She also added that Coronation Park was ‘too small’ and ‘our only decent area of grass’.

Dartmouth Town Council’s general purposes committee is expected to discuss Woofstock UK when it meets on Thursday night at the Guildhall at 6pm.