Memorandum by Bristol City Council (TF
43)
Within towns and cities throughout the country,
funfairs are a popular form of entertainment, and Bristol is no
exception. The City Council is constantly under pressure from
funfair operators to designate suitable sites to allow funfairs
to operate.
For Bristol, there is a sensitivity within the
community concerning funfairs. This follows a number of most violent
racial attacks, by fairground workers, on young black males at
a funfair held within the city in March 1994. During these attacks
a black youth suffered terrible head injuries from which he has
never recovered. A small number of fairground workers involved
in the incident were arrested and are currently serving sentence.
The incident occurred on an area of common land
known as the Downs. The land is owned and managed jointly by the
City Council and the Society of Merchant Venturers. Since the
early 1980's, the Downs had been established as a venue for funfairs.
By 1993, a policy had been formulated which sought to balance
the considerable income generating potential of funfairs and their
popularity, with the need to minimise the environmental impact
on the Downs.
Since March 1994, any requests to hold funfairs
on the Downs have not been approved. The City Council has had
cause to reflect upon whether or not it should allow funfairs
to take place within the city. Currently, there are five major
sites within the city where funfairs are permitted.
Following on from the incident on the Downs
and as a result of public concerns about the environmental nuisance
associated with funfairs, there has been a tightening of the licensing
conditions the City Council imposes upon funfairs. The extra conditions
include clauses which relate to:
— The setting of a minimum distance
equipment will be allowed from residential properties (100 metres);
— A prohibition on the dismantling
of equipment during unsociable hours;
— Restrictions being set as to the
hours of operation;
— weekdays 1800 hours-2200 hours;
— weekends 1400 hours-2200 hours;
— A condition to adhere to restrictions
on the emission of noise pollution;
— A requirement for regular litter
clearance during the operation of the funfair;
— The need for a reinstatement bond;
— A need for certificates of insurance,
and current mechanical certificates to be forwarded in advance
of the fair arriving on site;
— A requirement for funfair workers
to wear name badges on site at all times;
— A requirement for funfair workers
to have had training in first aid and hold relevant and up to
date certificates of training;
— A prohibition on catering concession
being located close to residential properties, and;
— A requirement to notify the police
of a fairs visit.
As to whether fairs will be allowed on the Downs
in future, this will rely on the healing of wounds within the
community which was devastated by the incident in 1994.
On a different issue, but again related to funfairs
is the concept of "Showman's Rights". This is a form
of collusion between many funfair operators which allows them
the right to expect to return to a site if they have operated
from that site for two years or more. This "right" can
obstruct a local authority's efforts to get the best out of fairground
opportunities. Perhaps the committee could consider whether the
continuing observation of showman's rights by fairground operators
is appropriate to modern conditions.
Michael Branaghan
Head of Parks and Heritage Estates
February 2000
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