Lib Dem ‘fun sponges’ mocked for banning bunting from pretty village Bank Holiday party.uk
Bunting has been banned from a Wiltshire village’s Bank Holiday party.
Stock image of colourful bunting. (Image: Getty)
A Lib Dem-led council has been mocked online over a row about bunting at a local community event. Box, an idyllic Wilshire village in the Cotswolds holds a May bank holiday weekend event called Box Revels where residents get together, and the streets are adorned with colourful bunting and signs to celebrate.
But Annabelle Sanderson, a spokesperson for Chippenham Conservatives told Express.co.uk that organisers were forced by Wiltshire Council to take down bunting put up over a road – warning that it could be “hazardous”. Ms Sanderson said: “Box was next door to the ward I stood in in the most recent elections and I had to deal with their parish council where they felt a soup kitchen and food bank was a suitable alternative to a shop where people can have actual choice.”
In a post on Facebook, one of organisers wrote: “The eagle eyed of you may have noticed the efforts of the Box Revels team putting out signage and bunting to promote the event and also give the Village a bit of a buzz prior to the event.
“Unfortunately due to legislation that Wiltshire Council are now enforcing the signage and bunting will all have to be removed,” the post claimed.
The group behind the annual get together said “attendance to our event” could be impacted “so we would ask that people share as much as possible the amazing Box Revels Community events that are happening over the last bank holiday weekend in May”.
The person who wrote the post said they would also like to inform “any other events, charities, businesses that have any signage out on council maintained property (i.e. Lampposts, grass verges, the white railings by Toast and Box School, etc), that if you do not have relevant permission from Wiltshire Council to attach signage to their assets then you could be liable for fines up to £500 per sign.”
The update also invited local residents happy to have signage on private property to get in touch.
“As a committee, we are incredibly sad by this instruction,” it continued. “A significant amount of hard work and effort goes into the build up and preparation for Box Revels and dressing the village is all part of the fun.
“We apologise for any disappointment, dismay or sheer disbelief of the situation this may cause in the lead up to the Revels weekend.”
One Facebook user commenting on the post post wrote simply: “Fun sponges”, with a sad-face emoji.
A second called the decision “madness”, while another branded it “quite unbelievable”.
A third fumed: “How ridiculous of WCC such nonsense.”
However, another user said that while it was a “shame”, it “has been the rule for years that you can’t put signs on telegraph poles or at traffic lights” as they could “distract drivers and cause an accident”.
Responding to a request for comment from the Local Democracy Reporting Service on May 16, Cllr Martin Smith (Lib Dem), the newly appointed cabinet member for highways and street scene, said: “Items placed on or over the road, such as banners or bunting, can be hazardous or cause obstructions for road users, and it is our responsibility to keep public roads safe for the public to use,” he explained.
“Where communities, including town and parish councils, wish to promote events or other celebrations with advertising on council land, they must first seek approval from their local Wiltshire Council highways team.
“In this case, the organisers of Box Revels had installed bunting and other signage on the public highway without consent, in contravention of the Town and Country (Control of Advertisement) Regulations 2007.
“As such, they were contacted and asked to remove the items. They were also advised by email on the process for obtaining permission and the correct licences from the council.
He added that organisers “have been in contact with the council and we are working with them to ensure a successful event”.
