COUNCIL bosses have curtailed a major Hampshire festival's plans to welcome 60,000 revellers.

Organisers of the BoomTown Fair near Winchester wanted permission to increase its capacity by 10,000.

Winchester City Council refused due to fears of extra traffic, crime and disorder.

It would have meant the festival's size had doubled since 2013, when it had a 30,000 limit.

But an application to add 5,000 partygoers is still being considered.

The owner of the Matterley Estate, where BoomTown has been held since, 2009, said he believed it was able to cope with the numbers put forward.

The festival had applied to for the expansion alongside changes in conditions under a minor variation application.

In response the council said it questioned whether an increase of such size could be considered minor.

It said concerns had been raised about the potential for public nuisance from additional traffic from increased numbers of festival-goers.

The council said its decision was based on views of both police and the highways authority who felt that the increase could have aggravated crime and disorder.

Civic chiefs are due to decide whether to approve the 5,000 increase by Tuesday.

Farm owner Peveril Bruce said: "I'm confident that the Matterley Estate can cope with significantly greater capacity but the capacity levels are decided by Winchester City Council and their licensing committee.

"I'm in constant discussion with Winchester City Council and the authorities and that's just the nature of the beast isn't it, the way it is.

"In my view the estate is well able to cope with that capacity[10,000]."

In 2014 the festival was given permission to increase its capacity from 30,000 to 50,000.

It attracted a record 46,000 crowd last year but is subject to tough licensing regulations to minimise noise and environmental damage.

The festival sparked 70 complaints in 2012 and a council investigation the following year amid claims of excessive noise, but last year received fewer than half this number for a second year running.

This latest decision comes after the Echo reported how the Matterley Estate is battling to protect its two biggest events: the festival and assault course event Tough Mudder.

Last year civic chiefs limited non-agricultural use of the estate to 28 days per year, far fewer than it currently takes to build BoomTown.

Winchester City Council and South Downs National Park Authority allowed last year's event to go ahead but warned Mr Bruce he must "consider the planning implications of future events."

Due to the uncertainty over the venue's future organisers of Tough Mudder pulled the venue for this year.

An application is due to be determined by South Downs National Park Authority this month.