The following comments from Fee Lock (on the EFDSS site)

Forgive me, Roger, but I think the thinking here is wrong. Professionally-acting festival organisers manage to apply for licenses in good time, because that's what the law requires. There's no point berating a law because you don't like it: either comply with it properly or put up with it.

The information required to put on a gathering is freely available from local authorities, who in my experience fall over themselves to help if approached in reasonable time from someone who's actually going to do it properly. It's not rocket science to understand that there are going to be dozens of Acts and bye-laws that need compliance in order to put on any large event, and labelling what seems to me to be poor organisation, tardy communication and a naive belief that shaking a collection tin for a worthy cause is enough to overlook the potential safety of attendees, does a disservice to those of us who work closely with our local councils and police to avoid what happened in Germany just a few weeks ago.