Weymouth funfairs may be allowed to stay as council set to vote again
Weymouth Town Council could do a U-turn on a decision to scrap the funfairs following public outrage
Last updated 6th Mar 2023
Weymouth Town Council will reconsider their decision to cancel any further funfairs in the town.
The controversial decision by the council’s services committee has been 'called in' for further debate and could see a U-turn when it goes before a full council meeting on Wednesday (8 March).
Councillor Luke Wakeling was “disappointed” by the outcome of the initital meeting and will lead discussion in favour of keeping the funfair.
He told us: “I was very disappointed that the members on the committee didn't consider any alternatives or any compromises and just cancelled the lot, which I thought wasn’t very democratic.”
Cllr Wakeling believes the funfairs on the seafront at the Weymouth Pavilion Forecourt are a staple of Weymouth and boost the local economy.
He told us: “It draws a crowd and that means those people will be going out and maybe going to a restaurant in the evening.
“It also means people on the beach don't go straight home they might hang around for an hour or two, get some food and that certainly helps local businesses.”
Cllr Wakeling said: “The problem is people are very vocal online but not all the councillors are on social media, so they don't see these outpouring of people's feelings.”
He is urging people to contact their local councillor directly to voice their adoration towards the funfair.
Noise complaints and criticism over anti-social behaviour were the reasons why the funfair’s future was brought into jeopardy.
Cllr Wakeling only recalled one complaint regarding the funfairs and said the Town Council attempted to resolve the issue by reducing noise levels and operating hours.
He added: “We’ll listen to some of the concerns from local businesses, but we’ll also listen to residents and hopefully between the two we can find some middle ground that people are happy with and provide some entertainment and activity for people.”
But ultimately, he believes the funfair offers the young people of Weymouth, in particular teenagers “something to do” and makes the town a much more appealing holiday resort.