A meeting will be held to discuss plans to hold a vote over the future of Appleby Horse Fair.
A group of town residents, called Appleby Fair Communities Group, are calling for a vote, known as a parish poll, as they believe the annual event is unsafe, should not be paid for by taxpayers and question its status as a gathering, rather than an organised event, which means no one is in charge of it.
It is overseen by the Appleby Horse Fair Multi-Agency Strategic Co-ordinating Group, which involves representatives from the police, councils and the Gypsy and Traveller community.
But Appleby Fair Communities Group say residents of the town and the surrounding area feel ignored.
A meeting will be held on Thursday July 21 at the Public Hall in Appleby, chaired by town mayor Gareth Hayes.
There are two items on the agenda:
- To discuss and agree questions to be included in a parish poll.
- To discuss and agree that a request to hold a parish poll should be submitted to Eden District Council.
Only residents of the Appleby and Bongate wards are entitled to vote on the agenda items, but the group said everybody was welcome to attend.
The questions the group wants the parish poll to ask are:
- Do you feel that public safety is put at risk during Appleby Horse Fair?
- Should the costs associated with Appleby Horse Fair be covered by the fair itself?
- Should Appleby Horse Fair be considered an organised event and comply with statutory legislation?
It added that the term Appleby Horse Fair referred to the entire event and the events leading up to it, not activity on Fair Hill alone.
The meeting, on Thursday July 21 will run from 7pm to 8pm.
A meeting to talk about this year’s fair was held on Thursday and passions ran high. Read more here.
