Strawberry Fair, Cambridge’s free summer music and arts festival, will go ahead this year despite a police-led campaign to ban it.

Police attempts to block the fair’s license because of alleged anti-social behaviour fuelled by drugs and alcohol were quashed on Monday at a Cambridge City Council hearing.

The premise license for Strawberry Fair 2010 was approved and extended for an extra day due to the event’s cultural significance.

Cllr Jennifer Liddle, Chair of the Licensing Committee, said: “We take our licensing role very seriously.  We have decided Strawberry Fair is a very cultural event in Cambridge.”

The license was granted in spite of police opposition.  In a submission to licensing chiefs, police solicitor Elliot Gold warned that if the fair goes ahead this year it “will result in widespread drug abuse, excessive drunkenness of those over and below 18 years of age, disorder and wider anti-social behaviour”.

Mr Gold cited an increase in the number of drug seizures at last year’s Strawberry Fair and instances of urination and defecation in public places as reasons to ban the event, which attracts up to 15,000 people annually.

Strawberry Fair organisers criticised the police for failing to take into account plans to deal with drug and alcohol-related anti-social behaviour.

Speaking to Varsity, the Strawberry Fair Committee said: “At the hearing the Police presented the licensing committee with misleading footage which was strongly biased against Strawberry Fair. 

“Despite these attempts to shock the license committee into banning the event, the opposite happened.  In acknowledgement of the true value of the Fair, the license for 2010 was approved – and was even extended from one to two days to allow the fair to run its ninth annual film festival the day before.

“The new license has been granted subject to conditions that were proposed by Strawberry Fair Committee, demonstrating their commitment to dealing with issues such as anti-social behaviour.  These conditions include reducing the number of large stages from six to three, banning the selling of ‘legal highs’ on stalls and doubling the number of toilets to combat the problem of festival-goers urinating in public.”

Daniel Zeichner, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Cambridge, agreed that there had been an “over-reaction” from the police.  He said: “We need to balance the needs of residents and fairgoers, but let’s look at how to make the fair run smoothly, rather than calling for an end to it.”

Justin Argent, Chair of Strawberry Fair, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the decision.  This proves beyond doubt that the fair makes an essential cultural contribution to Cambridge.”

In recent years, organisers have won the support of many residents living near Midsummer Common, where the festival is held, by addressing concerns ranging from parking problems to illegal camping.

Roger Chatterton, co-chairman of Brunswick and North Kite Residents’ Association, said: “Prior to that a lot of people were getting fed up with the fair, but huge efforts from the organisers made a vast difference last year.

“The whole impression from residents was that they look on it more favourably and hope this year’s will be another improvement.”

The first Strawberry Fair was held in 1974 when a group of Cambridge students decided to run an alternative event to the May Balls.

Katya Herman, a second-year English student, told Varsity she was delighted to be able to preserve this tradition.  “After the stress and misery that is the inescapable reality of exam term, perhaps what we really want is a day in the sun, to drink cold cider and have rainbows painted on our faces.  We have the promise of an indulgent and extravagant May Week, but I would choose festival tie-dye over black tie hands down.”