Police, fire and rescue and ambulance service staff will work together from a hub at Appleby Police Station for the first time, to improve incident response times at this year’s Appleby horse fair, a meeting was told on Wednesday.
Other new initiatives for the 2024 event were set out at the public meeting, when representatives of the multi-agency strategic co-ordinating group which oversees the fair met with residents.
Plans included additional CCTV cameras and new surveillance technology deployed in Appleby, so that more areas of the town are visible to police at all times during the event.
The traditional gypsy and traveller gathering brings thousands of visitors to the town every year, with the MASCG helping to oversee its smooth running.
The meeting heard that a new barrier would be installed at the town’s leisure centre, additional traffic calming measures would reduce the speed of horses and sulkies, and improvements to the “Flashing Lane”, where horses are put through their paces, would include a new footway and a temporary guardrail to protect pedestrians. Additional toilets and litter bins would also be provided.
Earlier in the week it was announced that a mobile bar zone which helped alleviate pressure and congestion in Appleby town centre during last year’s fair has had an 11th-hour reprieve.
The Travelling Man bar will return to the 2024 Appleby fair after organisers announced a reversal of their decision to miss this year’s event.
Wannasee Ltd, the organisers of the Travelling Man, had previously said that challenging economic conditions in the events industry meant that they would not be operating the bar this year. But following discussions with the MASCG, an agreement has been reached that the bar will return.
Alex Hutchinson, operations director at Wannasee Ltd, said: “I’d like to thank all those involved for their hard work in facilitating this decision and the attendees of Appleby horse fair, with whom we look forward to spending another weekend of social gathering in a vibrant and positive atmosphere.”
Westmorland and Furness Council’s director of thriving communities and chair of the MASCG, Steph Cordon, said: “The Travelling Man bar was a popular addition to the fair in 2023, so the news that an agreement has been found for the bar to return in 2024 is welcome.”
The MASCG was established in 2008 to ensure that all relevant agencies worked together to support the Fair and ensure that it is a safe and enjoyable event for residents and visitors. The group is chaired by Westmorland and Furness Council, with support from local councillors, representatives of the Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities, Cumbria Police, Fire & Rescue and Ambulance services, the RSPCA, the Environment Agency and other agencies.
Westmorland and Furness Council Member for Appleby and Brough, Cllr Graham Simpkins, chaired the meeting and the speakers on the panel included Steph Cordon, Chair of the MASCG and Westmorland and Furness Council’s Director of Thriving Communities and Superintendent Daniel StQuintin of Cumbria Police.
After an introduction from the meeting Chair,
At Wednesday’s meeting, Superintendent Daniel StQuintin outlined the approach for policing at this year’s fair, highlighting how a pro-active approach to crime prevention and enforcement action had resulted in greater targeting of the minority of individuals causing trouble last year, and confirming that this approach would continue.
There was a series of “robust, but constructive” exchanges in a question and answer session after the main meeting.
Topics included the new bunding, installed as a trial measure at the side of the A685 on the outskirts of Kirkby Stephen. One speaker expressed concern that the bunding forced pedestrians to walk on the road, which posed a risk.
Other questions focused on traffic congestion and the provision of litter bins and temporary toilet facilities.
