Residents’ views sought on relocation of Wisbech funfair

People have just over a fortnight to make their voices heard on where a town’s historic fair should go after the National Trust took the decision to ban it from a car park it owns.

The historic fair, run by The Showman’s Guild, comes to Wisbech twice a year for the Mart and Statue fairs and has, for many years, been located in the Chapel Road car park.

However, the car park is owned by The National Trust who lease it to Fenland District Council for use as a public car park.

The lease has recently ended and at one time, as reported in the Citizen this week it looked like it would not be renewed.

But lengthy negotiations between Fenland and the charity have secured the car park for the town’s use. However, one of the trust’s terms for its renewal is a ban on the use of the car park for the funfair, which the council currently hosts.

The council is now considering other possible council-owned sites to relocate the fair and would like people’s views on which they would prefer. The options are:

 Church Terrace car park (also referred to locally as St Peter’s Church car park)

 Somers Road car park

 Wisbech Park

The Market Place has not been put forward as a viable option as it is not big enough to accommodate the funfair.

A two-week consultation has now been launched. To share your views, visit: www.fenland.gov.uk/WisbechFunfairRelocation

If no solution can be found then it could mean the end of a 200-year-plus tradition, with the fair no longer visiting Wisbech.

The consultation closes on Friday, December 13.