Christmas fair cancelled by ‘over the top’ health and safety terror fears

Rotary Club in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, abandons event after being asked to block off roads

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A village Christmas fair has been cancelled for the first time in 25 years after organisers were told to block off roads to prevent a potential terrorist attack.
The Rotary Club of Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire said an “insurmountable” level of onerous health and safety paperwork and accompanying measures meant it was no longer feasible to host the Dec 6 event this year.
The club, which runs the fair on behalf of the parish council, said it had been told it would have to block off two roads at both ends “to prevent drive-through terrorism” and find funds to employ a traffic management company to man the road closures.
Organisers claimed they would also need “to draft and issue written guidance to marshalls and stewards on procedures in the event of a terrorist attack”.
The fair in Woodhall Spa usually attracts around 4,000 people to its 110 stalls each year and lasts for only four hours from 5.30pm to 9.30pm on a single evening.
In a statement on its website, the club said: “Over the years the health and safety requirements surrounding the Fayre have steadily increased and additional measures have been imposed with the aim of mitigating potential harms to customers and stallholders.
“These measures have now become so onerous that our organising committee has concluded that they now represent an insurmountable barrier to holding the event.”
It added: “Unfortunately, it seems that even these measures and the completion of a 67-page health and safety compliance document (for the 2023 event) are not enough and 2024 would see this documentation almost double in volume.”
The village has now planned a series of scaled-down Christmas events “which don’t involve road closures and unrealistic compliance requirements” including a late night shopping event on Dec 6.
Graham Marsh, the deputy leader of the Conservative-led East Lindsey district council, said he understood that some of the policies were “a little bit over the top” and it would be “tragic” if events were cancelled.
However, he said the authority “has to open people’s eyes to litigation because we live in such litigious times now”.
The council said it was also recruiting two new members of staff to help groups navigate the paperwork and requirements.
Last year, the UK’s oldest Christmas market was cancelled over health and safety fears.
Lincoln Christmas Market, which was first held in 1982 and attracts more than 300,000 people over four days, was shut down in 2023 because of concerns about overcrowding.
A motion to reverse the decision was rejected by Labour City of Lincoln councillors who argued that “having so many people in a small area can be uncomfortable”.
Karl McCartney, the then Conservative MP for Lincoln, criticised the decision at the time, saying it was “wrong on every level”.
A council spokesman said: “The council is looking at how it can support local events by providing officer support and advice, including assistance with obtaining SAG [Safety Advisory Group] advice for events.
“The council recognises the importance of locally organised events, as demonstrated by the recent ‘Vintage by the Sea’ event at Sutton on Sea, where officers helped facilitate this very successful event.
“Event organisers, whether volunteers, charities, companies, or commercial organisations, are responsible for the health, safety, and welfare of attendees and those affected by their events. Our guidance and support aim to ensure this, while also safeguarding organisers and mitigating the impact of any potential consequences.”
Over the past two years, several events around Lincolnshire have become victim to rising costs and concerns over public safety, including Lincoln Christmas Market, the Woodhall Spa 1940s Festival and the Lincolnshire Steam Rally.
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