THE new leader of BCP Council has called for discussions to be held into the future of Bournemouth’s biggest event.
Cllr Philip Broadhead said he was “committed” to hosting the annual Bournemouth Air Festival, but felt a conversation was needed to be held over its sustainability.
It comes after the Conservative leadership fended off a budget proposal to suspend the popular event at a council meeting in February.
Speaking in a question-and-answer session on BCP Council's recently-approved budget, Cllr Broadhead said: “I think we need to have a long-term, grown-up conversation about the air festival.
“But considering the next one is only six months away and it is a vital lifeline to many parts of our local economy, I thought it was really important that we protected that.
“I’m long term committed to it, but equally we do need to have a chat about how we can make it more sustainable, both financially and climate change wise in the long term.”
During the debate on the budget at full council in February, Cllr Mohan Lyengar, former conservative councillor now with the Poole Engage group, proposed saving £400,000 through a “one-year break” from the air festival.
He said: “The festival will be missed by enthusiasts, and it will impact the tourism sector for those four days but it’s a defensible decision in line with similar decisions taken by other authorities around the country to scale back or postpone major events at this time.”
Cllr Broadhead argued the air festival was an "important" feature, citing independent assessments which show it is worth approximately £49million for the region’s economy.
He said: “There were some other proposals from other parties which either scrap the air festival or severely curtailed it.
“I’m pleased to be able to protect it.
“It’s something we can all be proud of. I think, last year, it brought around a million extra people into the area. That’s exactly what we need in these difficult times- an injection into the economy.”
In the same Q & A session, Cllr Broadhead said that Bournemouth Air Festival's September date helps to extend the season for businesses in the area.
He gave an example from the café at the end of Bournemouth Pier, which had its “busiest day ever on record” during last year’s air festival.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel