Now that the dust is starting to settle on the horse fair held in Blackhall over the weekend we should now be able to take a clearer look back at the event.
First and foremost however we would like to thank the people of Blackhall for their patience and tolerance over the past few days. We acknowledge that this period has been fraught with uncertainty. This of course cranked-up the inevitable rumour mill so we are grateful to the many residents and business-owners who actually took the time and effort to talk to us to find out the facts. They acknowledge that we did everything possible to prevent this event going ahead and their support for our actions is very much appreciated. As usual however there has been a tiny handful of individual opportunists who have exploited the communities fears and insecurities to make personal or political points. Unfortunately there will always be those who refuse to let the truth get in the way of a good rumour!
The facts relating to the build up to the horse fair have been well-aired elsewhere on this site and need not be reiterated here. However we do have some comments to make on the actual response to the horse fair and also on our plans to ensure that our public spaces are adequately secured against future illegal gatherings.
Initially we should point out that although the horse fair went ahead against the wishes of the community, our actions in securing the site with boulders caused uncertainty within the travellers community about the eventual venue. This had a direct impact in reducing the numbers attending the event from the usual 200 to 250 caravans in previous years to about 50 this time around. Clearly this was reflected in the relatively low-key nature of this year's event compared to others in the recent past.
We contacted the Head of Direct Services at county hall first thing on Tuesday morning to ask that the area is cleaned up as a matter of urgency. Obviously the worst affected area is that closest to the pit site but other parts of the village have been left untidy too and these require immediate attention. We would appreciate your help in identifying any areas still in need of attention.
We have also contacted the relevant departments at the council to express our concerns at the way the authority responded to the horse fair from the time of initial rumours in July right up to the event itself. Residents and business-owners in the area have complained to us about a complete lack of communication from some parts of the council. We share those concerns and we will request that all of the authorities provide a satisfactory explanation following their post-event review.
Finally, we have already begun work with the parish council to ensure that a number of sites most at risk of trespass and illegal gatherings are made secure to prevent another event of this nature taking place again.
Please let us know if you have any comments to make about the issues raised above, especially your ideas on how we can improve security at the sites mentioned.