LOCAL councillors in Dodworth have called on Barnsley Council to supply them with answers after a recent fair at Penny Pie Park saw motorists parking on the roundabout.
Scott Pullen and Son Fun Fairs arrived in the town earlier this month for their nine-day-long event at the park where they have been operating annually.
The fair ended on Sunday, but the current state of the park has left a sour taste in some residents’ mouths - including Coun Will Fielding.
They told the Chronicle that a number of issues have been raised by locals following the conclusion of the park.
“The first thing is we hope that everybody - human or bat - who visited the fair on Penny Pie Park had a great time, because no matter what we want it to be enjoyed,” they said.
“The frustrating thing for local councillors is that we, nor the residents, were informed about it before the posters went up, as several issues that residents raised were not able to be pre-empted.
“The downside now is the state of the park, which is sadly a mess.
“We have been in touch with the council in the hope they bring it back to the standard residents expect so they are able to properly enjoy the park area again.”
Motorists attending the fair were also seen parking on the gyratory, causing issues for residents trying to navigate around the roundabout.
Coun Fielding said they hope the council will ensure problems such as nuisance parking will not be replicated in the future.
“Parking is the major issue,” they added.
“Before the installation of the gyratory, the fair had agreements with Horizon Community College.
“Sadly, this wasn’t the case this year, which resulted in issues where people were illegally parked on the gyratory and elsewhere.
“Another issue was the noise, which impacted nearby residents.
“Following our contact with the council they have agreed to keep people informed on future events.
“Officers were also on-site to learn from the fair and ensure the issues we raised didn’t continue.”
Coun James Higginbottom, cabinet spokesperson for environment and highways, said a review of the event will be carried out - with recommendations for future events put forward.
“As part of the development of the Penny Pie Park gyratory, this open space was maintained to provide future opportunities for events such as the fun fair,” he said.
“All events follow strict processes before being approved which includes risk assessments, which may contain recommendations that must be met before the event can be approved.
“Our teams inspect sites during event planning, and any issues identified after the event, such as site repair, are carried out by the organiser with input from our teams.
“During the funfair, no unauthorised vehicles were parked on the central green space.
“Our parking officers were in the area during the time the event was taking place to advise members of the public and residents and to deal with any parking violations.
“As this was one of the first events to take place in this area, a review of the delivery and impact will be carried out and recommendations will be made regarding future use of the space for similar activities.”
