Bridport Carnival back on as Torchlight procession gets green light
The carnival was put into doubt after opposition to the procession.
Bridport Carnival is back on after the Torchlight Procession has been given the go ahead.
Bosses say they are relieved to announce that the Carnival can go ahead on the week of the 15th of August.
The event was cast into doubt when the contractor who closed the A35 at the Crown Roundabout during the procession pulled out.
Organisers have now been told they're free to find their own contractor.
The procession is the carnival's largest form of income, so without it, the carnival might not have been able to go ahead.
Graham Davies is the chair of the Carnival Committee. He said:
"There's still a bit of work to be done with the road closure but with the help of Chris Loder and the Town Council who have had a big input as well we're getting there.
"2019 was so good and we were all looking forward to 2020 and it was very upsetting to lose it. A lot of local businesses and local charities, they all enjoy taking part in the carnival... and we're very lucky that the people of Bridport come out and do it.
"It is a huge spectacle. If you were down at West Bay at the cliffs, or even at the Crown Roundabout and look up at the town as everybody's walking down, we sell about 1,500 torches, so if you say two people per torch, 3,000 people and the people lining the streets watching it as everything goes by, it's a big spectacle."
Graham thanked West Dorset MP Chris Loder as well as Daryl Chambers and Will Austin from Bridport Town Council for their hard work to bring the procession back.
Ben Hampson, A35 Route Manager for National Highways, said:
“Following a meeting earlier this year, we met with organisers and they have been advised of the correct procedures to follow.
“The town council and carnival committee will be progressing their application for an ETRO (Events Traffic Regulation Order) and enlisting a new traffic management contractor to support their application.”