Burnham-On-Sea Carnival organisers are set to visit residents over the next few days who will be most affected by controversial changes to this year’s event as the debate continues over the plans.
We first reported last month that the carts will this year be lined up along Love Lane from the Tesco roundabout to where Stoddens Lane narrows; and also along the Frank Foley Parkway from the Tesco roundabout to the Wallace Wells Road roundabout.
The carts will not gather along Queens Drive as in previous years due to safety concerns raised by the police about access for emergency services.
But several residents are concerned about late night noise, access issues and disruption close to their homes over the carnival weekend. Several have even proposed a blockade to halt carnival carts gaining access to the area.
Carnival Chairman Phil New, pictured right, said this week: “We’re planning to visit the residents most effected to give them car passes and also to try and put their minds at rest that there will be as little disruption as possible.”
“I’ve had many phone calls on this in the last few weeks where concerns have been raised, but the vast majority of residents do understand why we are having to make these changes and are accepting them.”
He said he is aware of talk about a ‘blockade’ and he hopes this will not go ahead on safety grounds.
One local resident, Chris White, said: “I cannot believe it is necessary to move carnival floats and heavy agricultural machinery through a quiet housing estate in the middle of the night.”
“Mr New has advised me that he is concerned about the amount of noise the floats will generate on the Sunday in Love Lane and has given instructions that there is to be no noise until 9am and not after 6pm on that day. Basically, he is washing his hands of any inconvenience to the residents for a full nine hours on that particular Sunday I feel.”
“The road closure restricting access to the estate is also a thoroughly ill thought-out idea and likely to cause congestion on the Tesco roundabout at times, let alone restrict access to peoples’ homes.”
But Phil New said this week that carnival organisers want to keep the disruption to a minimum and are keen to answer any questions or concerns that local people have. He added that a public meeting is set to be held soon after this year’s carnival on November 3rd for residents to air their views about how it went.
RELATED LINK:
2014 Burnham-On-Sea Carnival Guide
