Anger over country show proposals (From Gazette & Herald)

Anger over country show proposals

COUNTRY show organisers from North and East Yorkshire have blasted proposals that could force volunteers behind certain events into applying for full planning permission.

The proposals are contained in a consultation document produced by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions.

It says that some infrequent country events, like farmers' markets or gymkhanas, could require planning permission in future.

At the moment, infrequent events can be held with temporary planning permission.

Jenny Bird, secretary to Malton Show, said: "I am sure this would be a concern among people involved in organising country events.

"There is a lot of hard work put in and something like this would be no help." Gail Turner, secretary of Bishop Wilton Show, which has been held for more than 100 years, said: "I had heard rumours of this a couple of weeks ago, and know that people are not very happy about the idea.

"It isn't just this though. People are fed up to the back teeth with everything this Government does regarding countryside matters.

"There is a lot of anger in the countryside, anger that will not just go away.

"The whole thing is a complete mess," said Barmby Moor resident Mrs Turner.

Annie Wilkinson, secretary of Rosedale and District Show, said: "I don't see how they could enforce it anyway. If we are on our land and running our own show we would tell them to get lost if they said we had to have planning permission." The National Farmers' Union has made submissions to the DTLR attacking the proposals.

The union's planning chairman, John Seymour, said: "The current arrangements strike an appropriate balance between the freedom to use land for a strictly temporary period of time for events that have sometimes taken place for many decades, and without having caused any problems in the vast majority of cases."

A spokesman for the DTLR stressed the proposals have come from a consultation paper and nothing had yet been decided.

He said the department realised the benefits to the rural economy events run under temporary permission could have.

The spokesman said: "We don't want to stamp on the benefits those events can bring.

"This is a consultation and the proposals are on of a number of options in the consultation paper.

"No date has been set for a final decision to be made and the outcome of the consultation will be published as soon as is practicable."

Updated: 08:39 Monday, April 29, 2002