A county council candidate from Watford is helping to organise an anti-Bilderberg festival to protest against the controversial group’s forthcoming meeting in the town.

Su Murray applied this week to Watford Borough Council for a temporary event licence for a “family event” on West Field, a patch of land between Hempstead Road and the A41.

When contacted by the Watford Observer Ms Murray, who stood as a Green Party candidate for the Central Oxhey division in the recent Hertfordshire County Council elections, said she had “concerns” about the Bilderberg coming to town but was adamant the event would be peaceful and law-abiding.

She said: “It [the application] is for a Green event taking into account the Bilderberg meeting.
“It is all a bit up in the air at the moment.

“My thoughts were I wanted something, a green event, to work with the people coming along because of Bilderberg.

“I am pretty certain I am going to amalgamate my idea in with the main festival, I am not sure whether it will be on the site I am applying for or not.

“I want it to remain a green event but the organisers of the main festival also want a very green event. This way will be better for a lot of residents and better for the police because it will all be on one site.”

The event – scheduled to last from June 8 to 12 – is described on the application as a “family event with entertainment including folk music, children’s entertainers, face painting, craft workshops and stalls”.

An application has also been made for late-night refreshment and alcohol sales. 

Politicians on the council’s licensing sub-committee are due to make a decision on whether to grant a licence next week.

Opponents of the shadowy meeting of influential figures from politics, business and academia are organising a fringe festival to coincide with the gathering at The Grove hotel next month.

Organisers have said the festival will be a creative art outlet of protest and they are working with police to minimise disruption to residents.

Hannah Borno, a spokesman for the Bilderberg Fringe Festival, said: “What Watford can expect is proper comedians and music acts.  No one is making any money by what it is going to be great entertainment. We are working with the police to enable it to happen and cause minimum disturbance to residents.”

A Facebook page has also been set up to organise an Occupy Bilderberg event while the group meets.

More than 600 people have said they are attending the event, which has listed its location as simply “The Grove Hotel” between June 6 and 9.

Last week, Hertfordshire Constabulary confirmed to the Watford Observer that it was launching a security operation for the Bilderberg meeting.

The Bilderberg Group meets annually in different locations and says it provides its attendees a chance to “off-the-record” discussions about current events.

Previous attendees have included the leaders from industries such as banking, technology as well as elected politicians from around the globe and include George Osborne, Google CEO Eric Schmidt and former chairman of Barclays, Marcus Agius.    

The secret nature of the events, from which no minutes or records are published, has provoked a growing protest movement.

Around 800 people protested the last meeting in Virginia, USA.