Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Hipkin.

Mr Smith addressed the Council and made the following statement:

i.             He attended on behalf of the Showmen’s Guild with his colleague Jane Brown.

ii.            He was aware of the terrible circumstances which occurred last November which lead to severe injuries to a user of the public which was a sad event and was now being resolved through insurance.

iii.           The Health and Safety Executive issued an improvement notice to Cambridge Live, the organisers of the event, to better control vehicle movements.

iv.          No notice was issued to the Showmen or to the driver of the vehicle.

v.           The Visit Cambridge website one hour ago reported on Midsummer Fair and that the ancient fair had been visiting Cambridge for the last 800 years and had all rides associated with a traditional fair. There was a sad note at the bottom of the webpage that there would be no funfair rides this year.

vi.          The Council have admitted and accepted that the numbers attending Midsummer Fair would be so far down that they reduced rents to store holders by 33%.

vii.         Could Councillor Johnson tell the Council what answer Cambridge Live and his Officers gave him since the Health and Safety Executive issued the Improvement Notice and why there had been no discussion of the transport issue with the Health and Safety Executive.

viii.       There had been no contact with the Showmen whose families had 150 years’ experience of moving on and off land for this event and had week after week of this experience. Why those meetings were not held, what Officers told him was the reason for that and if he did ask Officers why he did not ask that important question.

The Executive Councillor for Communities responded with the following:

          i.             Understood that the decision taken regarding the funfair was a major disappointment to the Showman’s Guild and many of their members.

         ii.             The decision made not to go ahead with the funfair was to uphold public safety and this was the Council’s number one priority.

       iii.             Cambridge Live and Officers came to the conclusion in the time available that the funfair or a smaller fair could not comply with advice.

       iv.             The decision was made in March to allow alternative arrangements to be made, whilst respecting the fact that there would be impacts on the Showman Guild members.

        v.             The Common had been offered so that it could be used in August. A response had not been received.

       vi.             The Council was committed to a Midsummer Fair in 2017.

     vii.             He re-iterated that the decision made regarding the funfair was for one year only and it was hoped that the Council and the Showmen could move forward and work in partnership.

Mr Smith addressed the Council and made the following supplementary points:

       i.                He had not seen an offer for August Bank Holiday but was aware that an alternative would be made available.

     ii.                The spirit of moving forward was what the Showmen wanted.

    iii.                Requested that the Executive Councillor instruct his Officers to meet with the Showman Guild and the Health and Safety Executive to see how a fair could be held in June. HSG175 stated that the responsibility of a fair lies with the organiser. The Guild would organise and would be responsible for the fair.

   iv.                If a meeting could not resolve the issue then at least they had tried.

     v.                Cambridge City Council is a Council that delivers.

The Executive Councillor for Communities responded with the following:

    i.                   He had discussed with Officers and remained of the view that the right decision had been made in March because of the time available.

  ii.                   Less than 4 weeks to go was less than adequate time to review the decision.

 iii.                   Midsummer fair has had a funfair element for the last 100-200 years however it was not set out in the Charter that the fun fair needed to be provided.

iv.                   The Council had a responsibility to uphold public safety.

  v.                   A meeting would be set up for the 2017 fun fair.

Councillor Dryden (Mayor): The motion:

That this Council strongly urges Councillor Johnson to reverse the Executive Decision taken by him on 22^nd March 2016 to remove the funfair element from Cambridge Midsummer Fair. The Council also urges Councillor Johnson to instruct officers to find forthwith a way in which the full fairground can be held at that historic and popular local event.

Councillor Dryden proposed and Councillor Ashton seconded the following motion:

That this Council strongly urges Councillor Johnson to reverse the Executive Decision taken by him on 22^nd March 2016 to remove the funfair element from Cambridge Midsummer Fair. The Council also urges Councillor Johnson to instruct officers to find forthwith a way in which the full fairground can be held at that historic and popular local event.

Councillor Johnson proposed and Councillor Herbert seconded the following amendment to the motion (deleted text struck through and additional wording underlined)

That this Council strongly urges Councillor Johnson to reverse the Executive Decision taken by him on 22^nd March 2016 to remove the funfair element from Cambridge Midsummer Fair. The Council also urges Councillor Johnson to instruct officers to find forthwith a way in which the full fairground can be held at that historic and popular local event.

This Council notes:

•   An Executive Decision was made on 22nd March 2016 by the Executive Councillor for Communities cancelling with regret the funfair element of Midsummer Fair in 2016;

•   This decision was made following the conclusion reached by the Council that more planning time is required to ensure the funfair element of Midsummer Fair can be run safely by the Council and in line with guidance from the Health and Safety Executive;

•   The historic Midsummer Fair Market, commonly known as the ‘pot fair’, is planned to take place during 22nd and 27th June 2016 and will include the traditional civic proclamation of the Fair by the Mayor;

This Council further notes:

•   Its commitment to the long term future of Midsummer Fair – including a funfair;

•   That it, and the Council’s contractor Cambridge Live, will work with the Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain, and all the stakeholders involved in Midsummer Fair, to put in place a sustainable approach to delivering the Fair for the 2017 event and beyond, and

•   That final proposals for the 2017 event will be brought to Community Services Scrutiny Committee for discussion and approval.

Resolved by (26 votes to 0) to note:

i.             An Executive Decision was made on 22nd March 2016 by the Executive Councillor for Communities cancelling with regret the funfair element of Midsummer Fair in 2016;

ii.            This decision was made following the conclusion reached by the Council that more planning time was required to ensure the funfair element of Midsummer Fair could be run safely by the Council and in line with guidance from the Health and Safety Executive;

iii.           The historic Midsummer Fair Market, commonly known as the ‘pot fair’, was planned to take place between the 22nd and 27th June 2016 and would have included the traditional civic proclamation of the Fair by the Mayor;

Council further noted:

iv.          Its commitment to the long term future of Midsummer Fair – including a funfair;

v.           That it, and the Council’s contractor Cambridge Live, would work with the Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain, and all the stakeholders involved in Midsummer Fair, to put in place a sustainable approach to deliver the Fair for the 2017 event and beyond, and

vi.          That the final proposals for the 2017 event would be brought to Community Services Scrutiny Committee for discussion and approval.