Consultants working on a crunch report into potential improvements to Appleby horse fair have “barely got started”, a meeting was told.
The report was to look at whether the fair can become an organised and ticketed event, and the delay means no potential improvements will be in place in time for this year’s fair.
Some local residents have called for tighter organisation of the event, which they see as a focal point for antisocial and criminal behaviour by visitors to the town.
They believe that imposing ticketing would help to control visitor numbers and bring in revenue to help pay for policing and clean-up efforts.
At present, there is no acknowledged organiser of the fair, however, a multi agency strategic co-ordinating group made up of officials and community representatives has a degree of oversight.
The consultants, appointed to look into the legalities and practicalities of the fair becoming an organised event, were due to publish their report by 31st December.
But a meeting of Cumbria County Council’s area committee for Eden was told that, for one reason or another, the consultants had “barely got started”.
Kirkby Stephen county councillor Phil Dew, who sits on the fair’s multi-agency strategic co-ordinating group, said: “There are reasons for it, but I am not sure how good they are.”
Following the latest MASCG meeting on 24th January, Mr Dew said it was his understanding that the decision had been taken in principle that they will delay writing the report until after the 2023 horse fair, because they want to see the fair in operation.
“I think that is a reasonable thing, but it means that nothing is really going to change or improve before 2023 now,” said Mr Dew.
The consultants were also due to look at the provision of transit sites, which are the temporary stopping places used by gypsies and travellers in the days and weeks leading up to the fair.
Mr Dew said he had asked for at least “some kind of provisional report” on transit sites.
“At the moment, there is a dearth of sites. When the A66 is dualled there is a hope that more appropriate sites will become available, along with a safe right of passage into the fair.
“But at the moment, the temporary stopping places issue is still unresolved and that does concern me,” said Mr Dew.
He added: “All too often, the gypsy-travellers end up on the A685, which is dangerous both for themselves and other vehicles on the road, because of the lack of any other suitable places.”
The meeting was told that the evaluation report for 2022, which would normally have been published by now, was also delayed.
