Memoraundum by The Royal Parks (TF 67)
THE MILLENNIUM
FUNFAIR ON
THE MALL
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
gave approval for a funfair to take place on The Mall from 31
December 1999 until 3 January 2000.
The Royal Parks Agency is responsible to the
Secretary of State for the management and policing of the Royal
Parks and was responsible for supervising the operation of the
funfair, including setting up and dismantling.
Our experience was that
— The funfair was well attended, especially
on 31 December, with many families in evidence, though attendance
dwindled substantially on 3rd January, which was very wet.
— The organisers, Big Time Events Ltd
(BTE) operated the fair effectively in the narrowest sense—ie
setting up, operating and dismantling the rides. They were less
concerned when it came to providing some of those things—like
adequate numbers of stewards, adequate additional toilets and
some of the fencing—which would have added to their costs.
They also failed to control operators' vehicle parking.
— Royal Parks Constabulary (RPC) manning
levels were adequate with some assistance from the Metropolitan
Police on 31 December (as had been planned for). There were five
arrests on 31 December; three for drunk and disorderly and two
for public order offences and police dealt with four people who
had collapsed. On 2nd January there were two arrests for public
order offences and police dealt with two people who had collapsed.
— There was one accident in which a
child fell off a ride and broke a leg and a few lesser ones resulting
in minor injuries. One ride had to be closed when a part broke
due to overloading, but it was repaired and back in use the next
day.
PLANNING
The arrangements for the funfair were influenced
to a great extent by:
— the proximity of the site to the
traditional London New Year honey-pots of Trafalgar Square and
Parliament Square;
— the fact that it was the Millennium;
— the need to integrate arrangements
for the funfair into the strategic planning for the capital city
Millennium Night celebrations.
We believe that because of these special circumstances
this is not a good example from which to draw lessons about funfairs
in general.
COSTS
In view of the occasion, there was no charge
for the millennium funfair and the organisers paid only a fixed
amount towards the costs. As a result, the Agency incurred substantial
costs as a result of the funfair on The Mall.
Normally the Agency charges event organisers
a fee for using the Royal Parks, on top of which event organisers
are expected to meet all costs arising from their event. In addition,
they have to meet the full cost of any repairs or reinstatement
necessary as a result of the event taking place in the Park. This
may include consequential costs incurred in the park outside the
immediate footprint of the funfair but which has been caused by
people attending the funfair. This may not be familiar to many
funfair operators used to dealing with funfairs held on traditional
sites.
FUTURE FUNFAIRS
We would be happy to consider hosting a New
Year event on The Mall again in future, although it compounds,
rather than alleviates, crowding at the Traditional Trafalgar
Square and Parliament Square honey-pots.
We would charge for deal with any future funfair
as we would any other event in the Royal Parks and the organiser
will have to pay all the costs of the event.
Viviane Robertson
Head of Policy
March 2000
| 
