Easter parade falls victim to new law
HARROGATE International Youth Music Festival has become the latest event to fall victim to new traffic management rules.
The festival's traditional Easter Saturday parade through the streets of Harrogate town centre has been cancelled for the first time in 25 years following new traffic management arrangements which could cost the organisers thousands of pounds to put in place.
New Government legislation has meant that North Yorkshire Police can no longer police the event and control traffic for free.
This has created huge costs for both Harrogate Borough Council and the festival's organisers, which include providing public notices, raising road closure orders and placing and removing cones and signs.
The festival's director, Sharon Canavar, said: "The Easter parade has always been the youth festival's big launch event. People travel into Harrogate every year just to come and watch it. But the route we've used for many years is no longer suitable.
"We've been working in consultation with Harrogate Borough Council to try and find a way through by looking at alternative routes. But we can't do it."
The Festival itself will run as normal from Friday, March 21 to Friday, March 28 but without the parade on Easter Saturday.
Mick Walsh, chief executive for Harrogate Borough Council, said the withdrawal of police support was now causing a bureaucratic headache.
"Some of the cost is passed on to organisers such as the actual cost of the public notice and drafting of the traffic order but other costs have had to be absorbed by the council.
"Events on the highway are an important part of cultural life in this district. We want to do all we can to protect them," he said.
Mr Walsh said Harrogate Borough Council would next week debate North Yorkshire Police's withdrawal of support for normal policing of events on the highway.
A Liberal Democrat motion will call on the police to reconsider, and the council to lobby MPs.
A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: "Under the Traffic Management Act 2004, road closures and traffic management are the responsibility of the local Highways Authority."
But in a more positive twist this week, Harrogate's annual St George's Day parade through Harrogate town centre will go ahead as planned on April 20.
There had been fears the major Scouting event, which has taken place in the town for more than 60 years, could also have been cancelled due to the new traffic management costs.
In a letter seen by the Harrogate Advertiser from North Yorkshire Police's Chief Constable, Grahame Maxwell, this has been decided due to the Scout movement being seen as a significant organisation in terms of community engagement and giving positive direction to young people.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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