DISTRICT Councillors told Kingsbridge Town Council that they ‘fought hard’ to prevent the Fair Week tendering process from going ahead.

Carol Horton, chair of the Fair Week committee, said that the committee cannot apply for the tender and was worried that the Town Square was included in the tendering document, possibly preventing some of the Fair Week activities that took place there.

She said the committee was ‘disappointed’ and that the Rotaproj team were ‘upset’ and they both felt ‘let down by South Hams District Council.’

The Rotaproj event is run for people with learning difficulties who come from all over Devon and parts of Cornwall to get a chance to use the fair. David Rowland, Kingsbridge Estuary Rotary Club and Kingsbridge Fire Station support it.

District Councillor Keith Wingate said that the Rotaproj event had been ‘written into the document’ to make sure it was safe. This was contested by Carol, but District Councillor Rufus Gilbert explained that it cannot specify a ‘named charity’ to avoid accusations of favouritism, but that ‘behind the scenes’ it was safe.

Peter Trembath, Fair Week committee member, then told Councillor Gilbert that he had been ‘lead to believe that you were one of the people who instigated the tendering process at South Hams and that you and Cllr Wingate could have prevented it’.

Cllr Gilbert denied that, saying ‘No, the tendering process has come from SHDC. If anything, Cllr Wingate and I had meetings and tried to persuade the officers at South Hams not to go ahead with this but they won the debate and as such we had to throw our towel in, because the support above us was weighty.’

Cllr Gilbert went on to say he ‘certainly didn’t promote it’, but that he and Cllr Wingate ‘couldn’t stop it’.

Town Councillor Robin Griffin called it ‘shameful’ that Kingsbridge Fair Week didn’t yet know who their partner was going to be, only seven months away from the event.

Cllr Gilbert went on to say that he and Cllr Wingate ‘fought so hard’ for a five year licence for the fair, to avoid the ‘annual jamboree’ of the fair contract.

He said he hoped that ‘ten days from now we can all celebrate the fact that Mr Rowland, with a bit of luck, has got a five-year licence, and I sincerely hope that it is Mr Rowland that does Fair Week and I will do anything I can to make sure that that is the case.’

Cllr Wingate concluded that although there was ‘an element of risk’, the upside to the process was that it will be secured for five years and it will be ‘left alone’.

After the meeting, Cllr Gilbert said: ‘I have whenever possible, always supported Fair Week and this is no different. All being well, matters should conclude on December 18 with a result with which all parties can work.

‘It is nevertheless, important that a process is in place that is fair, transparent and consistent across South Hams. I am pleased Fair Week are now engaged with the tender process and given that the license is for five years there is everything to gain.

‘As against the historical annual process which creates such angst for Fair Week to endure.’

The tendering process is due to be concluded on Friday, December 18.

Read more in the Kingsbridge & Salcombe Gazette