Mela joy after council licence fee slashed following appeal

THE cost of the Mela Festival's licence has been cut back to £1500 following a plea to the council.

Festival organisers last week attacked the city council for increasing its licence fee by 129 per cent to £8000, but, following a hearing, councillors have now agreed to reduce the fee to £1500 because it is a charitable event.

Councillor Colin Keir, the council's regulatory committee convener, said: "The Mela gave a very good presentation and explained that it is a charitable event and doesn't get a massive amount of sponsorship. We look at things on an individual basis and we try to be fair."

The local authority has given the charity a grant worth around £80,000 for the event, but originally planned to take around ten per cent of that back in fees.

Last year, organisers launched a similar appeal to reduce the cost of the licence. It had been set at £5500, and was cut to £3500.

Performers will travel from all over the world to Leith for the Mela, which will run next to Ocean Terminal from August 25-31.