Select Committee on Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Minutes of Evidence


Memorandum by The Showmen's Guild of Great Britain, Norwich & Eastern Counties Section (TF 04)

THE CONTINUED VALUE OF HISTORIC TRAVELLING FAIRS

  Many councils in the country are no longer run by people who value the traditions of their area and do not take seriously the loss of sites on which fairs have been held for centuries. Most areas of the country only experience the unique entertainment which a funfair provides on a few occasions during the year and it is not only important to the showmen to see these fairs continue but also important for the people of this country to continue with the traditions that their forefathers enjoyed.

THE PROVISION OF SITES FOR TRAVELLING FAIRS

  As stated above, many councils do not take seriously the loss of traditional fair sites through redevelopment, for example, nor do they seem to appreciate the need for an alternative site of similar qualities to that lost. A good example of this is the current situation in Norwich where the two fairs held at Christmas and Easter, having lost their hardstanding sites since the redevelopment of the Castle Mall shopping development, have recently been offered the use of a green park in the city as the home for the fairs which, especially at Christmas-time, is quite unsuitable and, for the first time in living memory at least, no fair was held over Christmas last year.

THE PARTICULAR NEEDS OF TRAVELLING SHOWPEOPLE IN CARRYING OUT THEIR TRADE

  Showmen not only need sites for their fairs but also sites, especially during the winter months, where they can pull off the roads and park their trailers and equipment. At this time of the year they can then carry out the vital maintenance of their equipment in the interests of public safety which has become a serious issue in recent years.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF EXISTING PLANNING GUIDANCE ON THE PROVISION OF QUARTERS ETC

  At present, the only reference available to councils is Circular 22/91 which, in some cases, appears to be ignored by them. This document needs an urgent review in order to bring it up-to-date and it should be reissued to councils but with more "teeth" than at present.

  In this section, responses to planning applications for showmen's winter quarters has mostly been poor with the majority of applicants having to go to an appeal in order for them to be approved. As an example of a council's lack of understanding, an application made to the South Cambridgeshire District Council by a showman for his own site resulted in a letter from the council suggesting that as it was no longer a statutory duty for local authorities to provide caravan sites they suggested that the showmen should seek to occupy vacancies on their various caravan sites throughout the area!

WHETHER ANY ACTION IS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT APPROPRIATE REGARD ETC

  Several years ago all local authorities had to review the planning policies for their area and all were written to by this section seeking an entry in their policies which allowed suitable areas to be earmarked for the use of travelling showmen. From the policy documents we have seen this appears to have been done and this aspect of your inquiry seems to be covered satisfactorily in our area. What is needed, however, is a more compassionate understanding of the showmen's needs where parking sites are concerned.

February 2000


 
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