No fun fair at this year's Kenilworth Carnival unless site is changed

The fun fair as part of the Kenilworth Carnival is not likely to take place this summer.

Warwick District Council (WDC) has deemed that the current planned site for the fun fair in Abbey Fields is unsuitable as it is prone to flooding.

The authority says it will continue to work with the carnival committee to enable the Carnival to run in June and that if the committee wishes to relocate the fair to another site it will help where it can.

Resident Steven Hobbins, who has attended carnivals in the town since he was a child, contacted the Kenilworth Weekly News to express his disappointment over this news.

He said: “The hundreds of people who come to the fair to enjoy the rides over the carnival weekend will miss this tradition.

"Whilst I respect the fact that Warwick District Council has a duty of care for our beautiful Abbey Fields I am deeply sadden by their decision.

“This is probably our oldest running event and the carnival fair has been a large part of the celebrations for almost 100 years.

"Most local people will know that the site can become flooded but a solution has always been found in the past with the council, carnival committee and fair working together.

"Bob Wilson’s Fun Fair, which provides the fair, has a vast experience in this type of situation and takes ground conservation extremely seriously.”

Mr Hobbins added that, while the number of stalls at the fair has declined in recent years, the number of rides has remained about the same and that losing these could mean the event after the carnival will eventually have to be cancelled, possibly along with the event altogether.

He said: “Kenilworth could lose its oldest running event.

"A few floats do not make a carnival.”

The council’s decision about the site was shared with the carnival organisers in December last year.

A council spokeswoman said: “Warwick District Council will not support the Funfair returning, as part of the Carnival week event in June 2024. “The reasons for this relate primarily to the unsuitability of the current site at Abbey Fields.

"The event takes place in an area which is prone to flooding and the ground is damaged by the funfair rides.

“More importantly, there is impact on, and potential damage to, the trees on the site.

" This is in breach of our parks protocol developed by the Green Spaces Team.

“In view of the continued growth of the trees, and the scale of the event – which has also grown over the years – , the funfair has now outgrown this site.

“Warwick District Council will continue to work with the carnival committee to enable the carnival to run in 2024.

If the carnival committee wishes to relocate to another site, we will work to support this where we can.’