Letter - Have say on Ironbridge World Heritage Festival
Around this time last year residents of the Ironbridge Gorge were asked to a meeting for the World Heritage Festival due to the problems they experienced in 2010.
Around this time last year residents of the Ironbridge Gorge were asked to a meeting for the World Heritage Festival due to the problems they experienced in 2010.
From these meetings those same residents were asked to attend meetings under the name of festival working group which quite a few attended.
In March this year we were told there was no budget from the council, Ironbridge Gorge Museum was not interested and the local parish council also said it would not be interested or sponsor the fireworks as there was no funding.
We discussed that the festival could be held on September 29, 2012, but we made the decision that, as there was no budget and the museum was not interested, it would be rested this year with the view of a possible date move to June 2013.
At around the same time rumours were going around that the festival will be going ahead this year anyway.
I have spoken to lots of locals who all have said we don’t want it if it’s the same mess as previous years.
We need a proper plan for the traffic.
So I welcome this meeting for July 20 at 6.30pm at Enginuity and hope that the people affected in previous years attend and take a stand to stop this becoming another laughable joke like last year where locals who went out for the day to get away from the festival found they couldn’t get home!
So if you want to voice your questions or worries please attend the meeting on July 20 at 6.30pm at Enginuity.
Richard Soame, Telford
Comments for: "Letter - Have say on Ironbridge World Heritage Festival"
The Original Jake
You do realise it's money from those pesky tourists that makes Ironbridge such a beautiful area to live in? The majority of 'locals' are actually incomers with money who can afford property in the Gorge.
Ben
I spoken with residents in the parish who say that they're looking forward to the festival happening this year and were disappointed when they heard the event wasn't going ahead.
sue
i have lived in ironbridge since the seventys if these so call 'locals'do not like it perhaps they should leave ironbridge altogether and let the local's enjoy their heritage!
Bert
The reason residents (and I am one) don't like the festival is that it has very little to do with heritage or the people who live in Ironbridge. In previous years Telford and Wrekin Council have given £15,000 to Ironbridge Museums to run the festival. This is delegated to a member of staff who has to fit it in with full-time responsibilities, which means we end up with a collection of largely tacky stalls, the same old light show every year and the area gridlocked with tourists and their cars. I'm sure it's great publicity/money-spinner for the museum, gift shops and restaurants but it does nothing for the inhabitants. Locals are "consulted" about the festival but the museum and the council decide its content. I would like to see the museum to account for how it has spent the money in the past and suggest strongly that any future festival funds are put out to tender. Anyone who bids should be asked to come up with an imaginative programme under the direction of a steering group that includes residents of Ironbridge and the world heritage site.