Food festival on course for summer in Oswestry

Oswestry Food Festival attracts thousands of people to the town each year for the two-day July weekend. Food and drink stalls line the streets with producers and stall holders, as well as street entertainment bringing in the crowds.

Last year there had been a move by festival director John Waine to find a new person to head the festival and talks were held with Oswestry Town Council over the future it might have with any new organiser.

Confusion then arose over whether the town council would continue to support the event as it has in the past. It estimates the cost of providing its staff and stalls at just over £2,000. Mr Waine said that if the festival had to pay out that kind of money it would possible not be sustainable and, having decided to continue organising this years event, he wrote to the council asking it not to charge such a figure.

"Were we to meet this, giving the rising costs of power, insurance and promotion it would mean increasing the fees that are already at a limit for many local traders. We do not feel it is to the benefit of the festival, the town or the council that the sustainability of the festival be risked in this fashion," he wrote.

At Wednesday's town council markets and car parks meeting, councillors stressed that the figure would only have been looked at had the festival been taken over by a commercial enterprise rather than the current, non-for-profit team.

Councillors agreed to continue supporting the festival this year in the same way it has done in the past, by providing the staffing and stalls free of charge.

The councillors voted to express an interest in taking over the running of the food festival in 2018.

Councillor Duncan Kerr said he was very pleased that the festival was going ahead again this year.

"It is of great benefit to the town," he said.

Councillors were told that one of the ideas mooted in talks last year had been to move the event to Cae Glas Park.