Cabinet still needs to sign off on new location and plan for Kenilworth Carnival’s funfair to return
Councillors still need to rubberstamp the new location and plan for Kenilworth Carnival's funfair, before the annual event returns later this year.
As reported by Kenilworth Nub News on Thursday (March 21), the carnival committee has reached an agreement to move the funfair to the other side of Abbey Fields, to the spot where the Lions Grand Show is usually held.
This follows Warwick District Council (WDC) pulling permission for the carnival to set the fair up on its usual spot near the car park.
While final approval is also needed for the new spot from Historic England, the local authority has now confirmed its cabinet needs to finally discuss the relocation later this spring.
"The council had previously had to withdraw its permission for the annual event to be held on its traditional site on the fields, due to environmental factors including potential damage to trees," a WDC statement said.
"Following a successful meeting with the carnival committee, funfair operator and leader of Kenilworth Town Council, officers from the district council will draw up a revised plans for this year's event, which will be brought to the cabinet meeting to be held on 10 April."
If all goes well, the funfair and carnival will run from Thursday to Sunday on the weekend of June 29.
"We are absolutely delighted," carnival chair Anne Brough told Nub News.
"It was Sir Jeremy Wright who initiated things after I contacted him for a meeting, he got the ball rolling. So great thanks to him.
"And also thanks to the public of Kenilworth who are behind us and supporting this historic event.
"It has been marvellous knowing people are supporting us and they like the event and they want it to continue."
WDC had blamed the growing size of the funfair and the impacts of climate change on the ground in Abbey Fields for withdrawing permission at the end of last year.
Anne also said the committee had considered other locations, but ultimately wanted to find a workable solution for Abbey Fields.
This will also keep the procession - which will start from Forrest Road - and the funfair will be kept together.
"We looked at other locations, people suggested locations, but we felt that it needed to be central," Anne explained.
"It has been in Abbey Fields for years and we wanted to stick to our guns.
"We looked at other sites but we thought it would be disjointed if the floats and procession were elsewhere. We felt it wouldn't have been the right way forward to go elsewhere."
Emily Wilson from Bob Wilson's Funfair added: "Bob Wilson's Funfairs would like to thank the local community, local traders and suppliers, very very much for all their support in pushing to get the carnival fair back where it belongs.
"It has been a very stressful few weeks, it [the funfair] is our everything.
"We have been there for over 100 years. To do away with the fair was doing away with entertainment for the people of Kenilworth that love it and support it.
"It belongs in the Abbey Fields. That is where it has always been."
However, as well as waiting on final sign off from Historic England, the carnival committee is also still in desperate need to raise funds for the 2024 installment.
"We still need to raise money for the event," Anne explained.
"We need to raise around £7,000. Kenilworth Town Council has given us a grant, and Warwick District Council has told us to apply for one.
"But we need Kenilworth companies and businesses to come on board and sponsor a float, the carnival king and queen and so on. We need people to come forward and help."
Contact [email protected] if you can help.
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