Town councillors call for cancellation of Mop Fair

Pressure to cancel this year’s Mop Fair is continuing to pile on Stratford District Council with town councillors expressing serious concerns about the event going ahead last week.

The district council has yet to make a decision on the Mop, simply saying that the event is being reviewed and that the Fair will be discussed at a meeting of its Safety Advisory Group on Wednesday (23 September).

The cancellation of the Stratford Victorian Christmas Market earlier this month has stoked further calls on social media for the Mop to be abandoned for 2020 too.

During last Tuesday’s Mayoral, Civic Ceremonial and Events Committee Meeting at the town council it was clear members did not want the Mop to go ahead.

Cllr Jenny Fradgley: I’ve got considerable concerns in the present situation of holding an event in which there would be very little chance to have pods distancing.”

She added: “To invite the world and his wife to the town for two days where I don’t know how the sanitising of the dodgems and the fantastic rides will be carried out. As the government has said, we shouldn’t be gathering in groups of more than six.”

Cllr Cohl Warren-Howles, said: “I just don’t think it should go ahead at all, the R rate is going up tremendously.”

During the meeting, town clerk Sarah Summers revealed that following discussions between her and the leader of Stratford District Council, it was clear that the district council also had reservations about the event and she was of the opinion that they also wanted the Mop to be cancelled.

She added however that the process was not simple and the district council had to make sure any cancellation was carried out legally.

A decision on whether the Mop will go ahead is expected soon and the town council agreed to reiterate their opposition to the 2020 event going ahead in a letter to the district council.