Local authority building control at the Glastonbury Festival

Nearly 200,000 people descended on Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, for one of the world's largest festivals. Throughout most of the year, the venue is a working farm, but during the Glastonbury Festival it transforms into a vast temporary international city.

A huge amount of work takes place every year to ensure the event continues to be regarded by many as the best music festival in the world and the Mendip District Council building control team plays a crucial part in this. The team boasts many years of Glastonbury Festival experience.

Usually, Mendip District Council only has to worry about its typical population of 105,600 people. But for one week during the festival, the Somerset farmyard throws up a huge challenge. Some 177,500 people, including 37,500 workers, attended this year’s event.

The entire county of Herefordshire, the City of Bournemouth, the Island of Guam and the city of Geneva in Switzerland have a similar population. However, with only four square kilometres to contend with, this is equivalent to an average population density of 44,375 people per sq km.

Nigel Hunt, building control manager at Mendip District Council and interim head of the proposed Somerset Building Control Partnership, is in charge of structures monitoring team. Comprised of Paul Stevens, Donna Tring, Trevor Henry, Bill Marcham, Sam Tully and David Clark, the team works on all aspects of monitoring the legendary event.

• They ensure 400 food stalls on site are inspected to make sure they are preparing and serving food safely
• Noise experts from the council monitor the output from nearly 100 stages, venues and sound systems, which have a total power of 650,000 watts - the same as 13,000 home stereos. Glastonbury's main pyramid stage alone has 250 speakers
• They ensure there is enough space and facilities to house around 200,000 campers on site
• The council certifies the festival organisers have plans in place to manage the infamous Glastonbury toilets, of which there are 4,000, as well as the site's water supplies, including three reservoirs holding an incredible three million litres of water
• Whether it's smell, smoke, litter, light or music, the council is on hand to monitor whether the organisers' plans are being adhered to
• They ensure organisers stick to the rules of a noise management plan, which they agree with the council before running the event
• They also monitor health and safety, inspect taxi and private hire cars with the police, check unlicensed vehicles, crack down on unauthorised alcohol sales, monitor temporary camp sites and food sellers and crack down on unauthorised charity collectors.

The council's time and effort in monitoring the festival is paid for by festival organisers through the costs of applying for and maintaining a licence.

Mr Hunt said: “This is an enormous festival and no one can afford to be complacent - we will continue to work with the organisers to ensure this remains one of the safest events anywhere, and if we have any doubts about this we will take action. Thankfully, this year everything went without a hitch and my team did a superb job as ever.”

LABC runs a course entitled Essential Events Management, which is ideal for building control surveyors going to be involved in a festival or outdoor event.