Supplementary Memorandum by The Showmen's
Guild of Great Britain Scottish Section (TF 14(a))
ENVIRONMENT SUB-COMMITTEE:
TRAVELLING FAIRS
Following the meeting with the Sub-committee
on Wednesday 19 April at Kirkcaldy, the Committee have asked me
to put forward the following points:
1. Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982—Section
41
Most Local Authorities implement licensing for
fairgrounds. The fee for this varies from £20 in Clackmannanshire
to almost £500 in Edinburgh City Council no matter the size
of the fair. Why is there such a vast difference? There is no
flexibility to allow for changes to the scale plan which has to
be submitted. Also the time factor required to submit any application
varies from Council to Council and is not within a reasonable
time.
2. Permanent Parking Sites and Showmen's
Depot
If there were more permanent sites our children
would be more settled, this in turn, would help with their education
which would be more consistent.
In Holland there are designated Showmen's depots
to allow for repairs to be carried out.
Councils in and outwith Glasgow should be more
sympathetic to the needs of Showmen and consider the business
which is generated in their local area on the arrival of the fairground
and when parking for the winter months.
3. Sites Lost Over the Years
Examples which come to mind, I am sure there
are many more, are: Dumbarton, two fairs which involved four weeks
business; Crieff—two weeks; Hamilton, two fairs—six
weeks; Wishaw, two fairs—four weeks; Saltcoats summer fair
and various parks within the City of Glasgow.
The trend with Councils seems to be more and
more against fairgrounds. They do not seem to encourage new fairs
to open up.
4. Rents
We feel it is only a matter of time before Councils
start asking for big rents. For example, at Kirkcaldy we pay £37,170.
This year we have been told we must also pay for police overtime
costs which have been estimated for the year 2000 at £11,000.
Our type of entertainment is one of the few,
in this day and age, which families can enjoy and participate
in if they wish. It would be sad to see this lost.
Mrs Jane Rodgers
Secretary
May 2000
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