Complaints that Merton Park’s answer to Woodstock broke noise laws have been thrown out by Merton Council - but the club that hosted the event will need new licenses if it wants to keep rocking next year.

The third annual Rutfest music festival, organised by the Old Rutlishians Association (ORA), drew a crowd of 2,500 earlier this year - but sparked complaints by neighbours, one of whom said noise from the day-long event made her whole house shake.

At a licensing sub-committee meeting in Morden last Wednesday councillors rejected calls for the club’s license to be revoked because of the noise after overwhelming public support for the event, but organisers were told they would need new music and alcohol permits for next year’s festival.

The 60s-themed celebration at the ORA’s grounds in Poplar Round featured 34 local bands and acts on three tents and stages.

In a licensing review called for by one angry neighbour, four people complained to the council about the festival - but 181 backed the event. Lawyer Simon Cheeton, speaking on behalf of the club, told the committee at the Civic Centre: “The evidence is overwhelming. It was not too loud, did not lead to trouble and did not lead to anti-social behaviour.”

Neighbour Jolante Nowak of Kenley Road called for the review. In a complaint to the council she said speakers at the event on May 30 had played a “high volume of music” for more than 12 hours from 11am. She said she could not enjoy her garden during the bank holiday, and could hear the noise through her door and double-glazed windows. She said: “The walls of the house, the whole house was shaking.”

The councillors dismissed the review but said the club had not operated with the correct permits to sell alcohol and play live music this year - and would need to have them in place if the festival was held again next year.