Steve Downes
Thursday, 18 November, 2010
10:54 AM

The complete list of 21 Christmas and New Year events across Norfolk that have been saved from possible cancellation by a County Hall cost compromise can today be revealed.

A number of events were at risk because organisers faced a hefty £450 bill for a legal road closure order for community events including the switch-on of Christmas lights.

Many town and parish councils had been told they would have to pay the sum to formally block streets during the popular festive events.

In the past, the road closures had been policed informally, but officers have now been advised they do not have the power to do that. Instead, the blocks must be organised through official notices handled by Norfolk County Council.

After an outcry from communities organising their showpiece events, the council came up with a cash-saving alternative, inviting communities to put in one shared road-closure application.

They will now have to pay £55 each, instead of the full £450.

Graham Plant, the council’s cabinet member for travel and transport, said: “The £450 standard charge for a legal road closure order came as a real shock to community groups organising community street events for this Christmas.

“Many of them would have found it extremely difficult to cover the cost, and a number of events, some that have been going for year after year, would have been cancelled.

“That’s the last thing we wanted to see happen, so we devised a way of cutting the cost by drawing as many events as possible together into a single application. In this way we have been able to keep the cost down to £55 each for the communities taking part.”

The task of contacting event organisers and coordinating the multiple road closure application fell to Russ Blackshields, street works project coordinator based at King’s Lynn, who said: “We sent out some 400 letters and emails to local councils and were also in touch with known event organisers. We had to gain the approval of the Government Office North East, which was an added complication.

“The final charge does not reflect all the work involved – £55 is simply the legal and advertising costs divided between those events listed in the closure order.”

He added: “Unfortunately, there is no scope for late applications. The multiple order has now been processed and other events cannot be added.”

Events benefiting from the deal are:

Reepham Christmas lights

Aylsham Christmas lights

Cromer Christmas lights

Holt Christmas lights

Sheringham Christmas lights

Wells Christmas lights

Fakenham Christmas lights

North Walsham Christmas lights

Dereham Christmas lights

Harleston Christmas lights

Hunstanton Christmas lights

Diss Christmas lights

Snettisham Victorian Christmas market

Wymondham Dickensian Christmas fayre

Watton Festive Christmas market

Attleborough Christmas carnival

Thorpe St Andrew Christmas lights and fair

Stalham Christmas street fair

Ludham New Years Eve fireworks

Gorleston Christmas lights

Mundesley festive market and carol concert.

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