Councillors throw lifeline to Littlehampton show and fun day

The town council’s community resources committee performed a U-turn and agreed to recommend to next Thursday’s (September 27) full council meeting that no changes should be made to the event.

Three months ago, the Tory-controlled council voted to move the fun day to August and to switch the Town Show to the new Southfields Jubilee Centre, in spite of protests that the show would not fit into the centre, and warnings by the organisers that this year’s would be the last event they staged. Three Conservatives joined two Labour members and a Lib-Dem to vote 6-2 for the status quo. The two voting against were Conservatives Derek Hulmes and Roy Scrivener.

The meeting took place just days after thousands of people enjoyed this year’s Town Show and Family Fun Day on the Rosemead open space, the 10th year the two have been held side by side.

More than 2,000 people have signed a petition calling for the horticultural show and fun day to be kept together and at the event itself, people were queueing all afternoon to add their signatures.

Lib-Dem councillor Dr James Walsh told last week’s committee meeting: “The feeling, quite clearly, from the majority of people involved in the production of the Town Show and Family Fun Day is that they should be kept together.

“Councils do make mistakes from time to time, and I have made them. But they look bigger and better for admitting that.”

A report to the committee by town clerk Peter Herbert said the show organisers had claimed the Jubilee Centre would have space for only 220ft of tables for displaying exhibits, compared with about 600ft in the marquee set up at Rosemead.

Councillors Scrivener and Hulmes argued that the town council had to budget carefully in difficult financial times, but it was pointed out that the marquee hire and other costs amounted to only £2,650.

Labour councillor Mike Northeast urged the council to “leave well alone”.

He added: “It works. Why change something that works so well?”

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Northeast said: “This is a significant victory for the campaign. Myself and other supporting town councillors convinced three Conservatives to do a U-turn, including the committee chairman Alan Gammon, who first put forward the idea.

“It is proof that strong public opinion can help councillors change things. In my 22 years as a councillor, I have never known a decision be so unpopular with people that made them queue to sign a petition, it just shows what a totally illogical proposal it was to split the events.”