NORTH Wiltshire Festival will go ahead, but it will only be staged for two days instead of three, and there will not be a talent search competition.

But North Wiltshire District Council said this week it is pulling out all the stops to deliver a first class festival 2004 in just 17 weeks' time.

The Festival Board unanimously agreed last week it would go ahead with the festival despite the loss of project leader Steve Cox two weeks ago.

Strategic manager Laurie Bell will oversee the project with officer Graham Wilson to co-ordinate the day-to-day management. They are pulling together an operations team and a drastic rethink is already underway.

"We will go back to being a business and entertainment showcase," said Ms Bell.

She said there was no chance of the festival being abandoned, but the team has to deliver a festival within budget.

The three-day event will now be pared down to just Friday and Saturday, July 16 and 17, culminating with the concert and fireworks on Saturday night in Monkton Park.

Abba tribute band Bjorn Again has been provisionally booked and a deposit paid, and it is due to be the headline band.

"They are as definite as we can get at this stage," said Ms Bell.

"We have no more details yet but there are a lot of local bands we have worked with before."

But the much publicised TalentSpot contest has been ditched by the district council on the basis of cost.

The festival organisers have pulled the plug on the idea, which was to have had heats in each of the six towns and a final at the concert night.

Ms Bell said it would have cost around £20,000 to pay for the venues, the infrastructure and security money they wanted to focus on the main festival days.

However, the festival board has agreed to provide some concert time to winners of the TalentSpot contest from each town if organisers Mike O'Brien and David Oliver want to run the heats themselves.

Mr O'Brien, of TalentSpot, was disappointed the district council had made the decision but said he would not be giving up on the idea.

"All the years in business have prepared me for constant knock backs, but I have to say the way the district council has behaved has been very disappointing," he said.

"They do tend to encourage at an early stage and match your enthusiasm but this evaporates at the end of the day."

Mr O'Brien said TalentSpot planned to continue with the contest focusing on one concert in Chippenham, using either the Neeld Hall or the Olympiad.

However, auditions could be held all over the district and competitors from outside North Wiltshire will now also be welcome to take part.

Mr O'Brien said: "The TalentSpot still has the same objectives to find new talent and create interactive relationships between that talent, fans and industry.

"To that end, we will shortly announce new TalentSpot Tour venues and dates for the 60 plus bands already registered."

Details will be available on the website wwwthetalentspot.com.

North Wiltshire Festival will have its main stage in Monkton Park, with exhibition stands grouped around an entertainments stage, and the six towns will have a big top to showcase their own communities.

Recycling will be a major theme of the event both in encouraging people on site to recycle, and to promote waste minimisation in the community.

The district council will also be working with North Wiltshire Leisure Limited to promote healthy living at the festival.

"It will be a showcase event for business and talent, which is what previous events have always done," said Ms Bell.

Principle sponsor Wavin said it had discussed the festival with the district council and would be continuing to support it.

Spokesman Carol Heneghan said: "We are all working together to get this moving forward. We support the move to reduce it to two days that probably works in its favour."

Coun Ross Henning, lead member for the festival, said: "The festival board is fully committed to staging this unique event here in north Wiltshire.

"I would appeal to any local sponsors who would like to be involved to come forward and show their support.

"We are really determined to make the Friday and Saturday two special days in the calendar that will provide a full programme of family entertainment that the whole community can enjoy."