PERMISSION is being sought to allow alcohol to be sold and more events to be held in Shobrooke Park near Crediton.

The historic parkland, which has been hosting the annual Enchanted Garden Ball for Exeter University students since 2010, is currently only allowed to have one event a year on a Friday or Saturday and cannot sell alcohol.

Now, Showbitz Limited wants to hold other events such as “family fetes, plays in the amphitheatre as well as possibly other music events”, licensing documents say.

The company is applying for a premises licence for a larger area, “not necessarily to be used all at once, but to allow scope for different events in different locations”.

The new licence would in theory allow “any event at any time”, largely between 10am and 4am, but the company has “no plans to run any events later than 2.30am” but wants the longer hours just in case it needs them, citing health and safety concerns when guests leave the park.

The licence would cover every day of the year, but the company said it would limit it to 10 events per year and no event would last longer than three days except possibly for theatrical performances.

It also wants to increase its attendance capacity for the Enchanted Garden Ball, which currently amounts to 7,500 people. It is proposed to allow the maximum capacity to grow to 8,000 in 2025, 9,000 in 2026 and 9,999 in 2027.

Mid Devon District Council will decide whether to grant or refuse the premises licence application at a later date.

If you would like to make a representation about the application, write to The Licensing Section, Mid Devon District Council, Phoenix House, Phoenix Lane, Tiverton, Devon EX16 6PP by Friday, April 11.

You can see read the application at Mid Devon District Council’s offices or online.