AN ISLE of Wight carnival established since 1889 has been handed a “last-minute and unexpected” bill to close roads along the route.
Ventnor Carnival were sent a bill for £400 that they didn’t expect and hadn’t budgeted for, after Isle of Wight Council introduced new charges last February.
Last year there was no carnival due to Covid, so this is the first time it has been implemented.
Tony McCarthy, of Ventnor Town Council, said it was a shock to the town’s carnival association, who say they first heard about the new charging policy within three weeks of the event on August 10.
He said: “Ventnor Carnival is run entirely by volunteers who spend most of the year fundraising. We are suddenly faced with unforeseen and unbudgeted extra costs that we will need to fundraise for.
“All on-street parking on our carnival route is free. Therefore, there is no loss of income for Isle of Wight Council.”
A spokesman for Isle of Wight Council said: “The amount quoted is for a charge for the suspension of parking events.
“It covers the cost of producing and placing suspension notices and cones as appropriate. It also absorbs a significant amount of staff time.
“The cost of suspended parking is £20 per space per day. The council’s parking department want to support events, so they make a nominal charge of £50 per street, regardless of the number of bays.
“In previous years, the council has undertaken suspensions of free parking for Ventnor Carnival based on historical knowledge of the route, rather than a direct request from the Ventnor Carnival Association.
“The council contacted the organizers to make sure they were aware of the costs.
“Ventnor Carnival has since been contacted and the authority has offered a number of options to avoid or reduce the charges.
“The Isle of Wight is lucky to have so many different and colorful parades, and we work hard to support as many as possible, but at a time of significant budget pressures we need to cover costs and not impact in providing essential services.”
On Friday, Cllr Phil Jordan offered a solution to Ventnor Town Council which was accepted.
The fee has been halved from £400 to £200, making the main and illuminated processions part of the paperwork.
Additionally, this year’s fee has been pushed back to 2023, giving the carnival association more time to raise funds for it.
