Parish councils around the site of next year's Homelands festival have serious concerns about the all-night dance event at Cheesefoot Head.

But, according to Alison Matthews, chairman of Itchen Valley Parish Council, people have stopped voicing their objections because the complaints fall on deaf ears.

"We don't object because we have objected every year and the councillors take no notice," she said.

"Most people have given up complaining because they know the city council expects them to tolerate it for that one day."

However, Mrs Matthews insists that parish councils in the Itchen Valley and at Tichborne, do not support the festival, as reported by the Hampshire Chronicle last week.

"They are bringing 50,000 people into the area which causes major disruption on a Bank Holiday weekend," she said.

"We never know about the noise because that depends on the weather. But people can't arrange to have open air things on what is, for us, a bank holiday evening.

"Residents are also concerned about the cost to the council tax payer. Mean Fiddler contribute absolutely nothing to the Itchen Valley and yet we suspect we are paying quite a lot towards policing the event.

"People are horrified by the amount of drugs," she said.

Worried about the increase in numbers at Homelands 2002--from 30,000 to 50,000--Itchen Valley councillor, Neil Baxter, said: "There is a tremendous police presence and I feel the people running the event should be responsible for that."

There are also problems with the diversions which reroute traffic along the normally quiet B3047, through Itchen Abbas. "We have taken this up with the police several times," said Mr Baxter. "But it seems it is the only alternative route."

He added: "I am not against the event. I think once a year we have to live with it, but there are concerns about it."