This Saturday, July 7th, was going to be the 31st annual street procession for Balsall Heath's Carnival in South Birmingham. For over thirty years Balsall Heath Carnival has led an unhindered street procession winding through the streets of the area ending up in Pickwick Park. This year, however, Birmingham City Council's bureaucrats in the Transportation Department have informed the organisers that they would have to pay exorbitant fees for the street procession to go ahead. The Transportation Department is now demanding the organisers pay for the closure of roads and road diversions, which the organisers along with experienced volunteers performed without incident themselves.
This year's carnival theme is the 'Fairy Tale of Balsall Heath', but the intervention of the Council's Transport Department just over a week before the event, has meant that the street procession looks set to turn into a pumpkin. This year's Balsall Heath Carnival street procession has had to be altered at the last minute. Rather than having the annual street procession with floats and children dressed in Carnival costumes walking through the streets, the procession will now have to walk down Balsall Heath's narrow pavements without it's colourful carnival floats.
This year's carnival theme is the 'Fairy Tale of Balsall Heath', but the intervention of the Council's Transport Department just over a week before the event, has meant that the street procession looks set to turn into a pumpkin. This year's Balsall Heath Carnival street procession has had to be altered at the last minute. Rather than having the annual street procession with floats and children dressed in Carnival costumes walking through the streets, the procession will now have to walk down Balsall Heath's narrow pavements without it's colourful carnival floats.
original route of the street procession
the changed pavement route for the procession
The organisers estimate, on the basis that each road closure costs £650, they will be charged between £6000 and £10,000 by the Council for road closures and diversions. Of course this is a prohibitive cost for a self-organised, under-funded event like the Balsall Heath Carnival. This means there won't be a street procession this year and the art displays produced by local artists and children won't be appearing on any carnival floats. The Carnival has also lost it's drummers because the bureaucrats in the Council Licensing Department have demanded that in order to fulfill their zealously policed licensing laws, they would have to perform on a float, but of course the floats have all now been cancelled.
Balsall Heath Carnival's street procession is a local grass-roots initiative and has been self-organised for over thirty years. It has never had any incidents thanks to its stewards and the organisers have plenty of experience of risk assessment and marshaling the procession. Unlike many other Council-led events in the city, Balsall Heath Carnival is a truly inclusive and diverse event that helps community cohesion in one of the city's most deprived areas.
There appears, however, to be a double standard operating for the rest of the city's events that according to the Council's Transport Department should also require charges for road closures. For instance, according to Martin Mullaney, Councillor for Kings Heath and Moseley, it's 'Farmer's Markets' are exempt from these charges and this is because he claims he has intervened with the Transportation Department and as a result the charges have been lifted. It's worth pointing out that Cllr. Mullaney chairs the Transport and Street Services Overview and Scrutiny group.
http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?CONTENT_ITEM_ID=41684&CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE=0&MENU_ID=1282
On the face of it, there seems to be one ruling for gentrified Moseley, and another for Balsall Heath.
The Council's change in approach towards the Street Procession could be due to the appointment of a series of Transport Managers across the country by central government about a year ago. Amongst other things they are concerned with traffic disruption and road safety.
Recently appointed Transport Manger for Birmingham City Council, Alan Dawson claims to have no knowledge of the Street Procession in Balsall Heath and denies having any role in changing the Street Procession. His statement, however, contradicts the fact the organisers received an email from his department saying that they would have to pay for their Street Procession this year. In fact, not only was Mr. Dawson evasive when it came to identifying who was responsible for making this decision at such short notice, but other Council officers and representatives, are also reluctant to say whose decision it was.
Mr. Dawson initially voiced concern about the traffic disruption caused by the street procession, after the Carnival organisers were originally referred to the Transportation Department via Licensing and the Safety Advisory Group.
"My concern, is that the traffic is properly managed” he stated, although he eventually conceded that the rolling road closures that the organisers claim last for about six minutes, wouldn't really cause that much traffic disruption on a Saturday afternoon.
When he was asked why the street procession was now being charged for the first time after thirty years he pointed to the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) guidance on carnivals and street processions. This came into effect 6 or 7 years ago when the police, according to the organisers of the event, wanted to charge the event for their services too. When pressed once more for an explanation of this sudden change he referred us to the Transportation Lead Officer, Neil Dancer.
This isn't just an issue for Balsall Heath and its Carnival Street Procession. Across the country, Council bureaucrats and the ‘powers that be’ are stifling community events like street processions and musical events through the zealous enforcement of the Licensing Laws and the prohibitive charges levied by Transport Managers.
To offer support and help for next year's Carnival and Street Procession email:
carnival@stpaulstrust.org.uk
If you'd like to contact the Council bureaucrats who made the decision to charge prohibitive costs to the organisers of Balsall Heath Carnival's Street Procession, then we suggest you start at the top of the 'food chain' and work your way down:
Transportation Lead Officer: Neil Dancer
Tel: 0121 303 7415
Fax: 0121 303 6451
Email: Neil.Dancer@birmingham.gov.uk
Transport Manager: Alan Lloyd
Tel: 0121 303 7693
Email: alan.lloyd@birmingham.gov.uk
Balsall Heath Carnival's street procession is a local grass-roots initiative and has been self-organised for over thirty years. It has never had any incidents thanks to its stewards and the organisers have plenty of experience of risk assessment and marshaling the procession. Unlike many other Council-led events in the city, Balsall Heath Carnival is a truly inclusive and diverse event that helps community cohesion in one of the city's most deprived areas.
There appears, however, to be a double standard operating for the rest of the city's events that according to the Council's Transport Department should also require charges for road closures. For instance, according to Martin Mullaney, Councillor for Kings Heath and Moseley, it's 'Farmer's Markets' are exempt from these charges and this is because he claims he has intervened with the Transportation Department and as a result the charges have been lifted. It's worth pointing out that Cllr. Mullaney chairs the Transport and Street Services Overview and Scrutiny group.
http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?CONTENT_ITEM_ID=41684&CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE=0&MENU_ID=1282 On the face of it, there seems to be one ruling for gentrified Moseley, and another for Balsall Heath.
The Council's change in approach towards the Street Procession could be due to the appointment of a series of Transport Managers across the country by central government about a year ago. Amongst other things they are concerned with traffic disruption and road safety.
Recently appointed Transport Manger for Birmingham City Council, Alan Dawson claims to have no knowledge of the Street Procession in Balsall Heath and denies having any role in changing the Street Procession. His statement, however, contradicts the fact the organisers received an email from his department saying that they would have to pay for their Street Procession this year. In fact, not only was Mr. Dawson evasive when it came to identifying who was responsible for making this decision at such short notice, but other Council officers and representatives, are also reluctant to say whose decision it was.
Mr. Dawson initially voiced concern about the traffic disruption caused by the street procession, after the Carnival organisers were originally referred to the Transportation Department via Licensing and the Safety Advisory Group.
"My concern, is that the traffic is properly managed” he stated, although he eventually conceded that the rolling road closures that the organisers claim last for about six minutes, wouldn't really cause that much traffic disruption on a Saturday afternoon.
When he was asked why the street procession was now being charged for the first time after thirty years he pointed to the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) guidance on carnivals and street processions. This came into effect 6 or 7 years ago when the police, according to the organisers of the event, wanted to charge the event for their services too. When pressed once more for an explanation of this sudden change he referred us to the Transportation Lead Officer, Neil Dancer.
This isn't just an issue for Balsall Heath and its Carnival Street Procession. Across the country, Council bureaucrats and the ‘powers that be’ are stifling community events like street processions and musical events through the zealous enforcement of the Licensing Laws and the prohibitive charges levied by Transport Managers.
To offer support and help for next year's Carnival and Street Procession email:
carnival@stpaulstrust.org.uk If you'd like to contact the Council bureaucrats who made the decision to charge prohibitive costs to the organisers of Balsall Heath Carnival's Street Procession, then we suggest you start at the top of the 'food chain' and work your way down:
Transportation Lead Officer: Neil Dancer
Tel: 0121 303 7415
Fax: 0121 303 6451
Email:
Neil.Dancer@birmingham.gov.uk Transport Manager: Alan Lloyd
Tel: 0121 303 7693
Email:
alan.lloyd@birmingham.gov.uk
