UPDATE: Reprieve for council working party over Coronation event in Skegness

Following an extraordinary meeting last night (Wednesday) to decide whether the event could go ahead, Town Clerk Steve Larner warned that in spite of some paperwork and risk assessments being submitted he still had concerns.

Last week we reported a special working group at Skegness Town Council has been liaising with local businesses to organise the Great British Garden Party in Tower Gardens on Saturday, May 6.

However, Town Clerk Steve Larner questioned whether organisers were fully prepared for the scale of the event, which had grown to attract around 1,000 people and included regulated performances requiring a premises license.

"The original dog show and dove release have been removed and replaced with live entertainment, children’s rides, a giant screen and various costume acts,” he said.

"This has made the organisation more complex as there are now generators and fuel on site and a stage with associated cabling, tents and gazebos.

"Work to undertake risk assessments and complete the event management plan has started, but there is still a lot of work to do.”

At last night’s meeting Mr Larner said with just over two weeks to go days to go (at the time of the meeting) there was still no comprehensive event plan in place.

"We need that for our insurance to affective,” he explained. “If something happens the council could be liable and claims could be rejected – for serious injury or death prosecution could follow.

“The council needs to decide whether it is confident the working group can deliver a safe event.”

Originally planned to be a closed meeting, councillors voted to open it to the public to allow a partner member of the working group, Martin Brown, to speak.

Mr Brown reassured the council the working group was days away from having the necessary paperwork in place and had achieved ‘something remarkable’ in putting things in place to safeguard the event.

"The fire risk assessment is waiting to be delivered and once we release the cheque it will be here next day,” he said.

He said it seemed the main concerns surrounded the stage which was being provided by Magna Vitae, who organise the SO Festival and the fairground rides and the TV screen to be provided by Fantasy Island owners the Mellors, who operate in Hyde Park and all over the world..

"In fairness to Magna Vitae they have found £2, 800 to put that stage up and take it away and make it safe for the day,” he pointed out.

"We normally do the risk assessment the week before to take into account the wind and weather and other factors.”

Regarding the fairground rides and TV screen, he said work commitments was the reason the risk assessments had not yet been submitted but they had been promised by the end of the week.

“We are talking about a blue chip company – we are not talking about a Joe Blogs and his fairground rides. Why would be doubt this?”

Councillors agreed they will meet again, next Wednesday April 26, to discuss the matter further.