CONCERNS OVER EVENT
IT’S difficult to know where to start with this email, however I’ll endeavour to be factually concise regarding the events in Ramsbottom Sat/Sun 24/25 March 2018.
I attended the Chocolate Festival in 2017, and following the unacceptable crowd situation, was pleased to hear that a public enquiry had been put in place questioning the health and safety aspect of the event, particularly on Bridge Street.
New measures have been put in place, and festival organiser Terri Fletcher is quoted in the Rossendale Free Press as praising the improvements over last years event.
I’m am utterly baffled by the reports in the press as they completely misrepresent what actually occurred on Bridge Street.
Whilst I agree that other event areas did work well, the extreme overcrowding on the pedestrianised section of Bridge Street was in fact worse than last year.
Both my partner and myself struggled to simply navigate past the stalls, never actually being able to view them due to the ludicrous overcrowding.
I am shocked that the emergency services agreed to allow a situation worse than 2017 to occur.
I genuinely feared for my own and others welfare, we had to retreat to shops and side streets as the atmosphere was so oppressive.
Had anyone suffered a cardiac arrest or other emergency, I have no doubt that police ambulance and fire would be totally thwarted by the unacceptable conditions we were placed in.
I congratulate Ramsbottom on such an otherwise wonderful event, however it seems obvious to anyone that the Chocolate Festival has now become a victim of its own success.
To quote the organisers: “It is fantastic. “It just gets bigger and bigger every year. It is very special. It has just grown every year and the crowds have gone up with it.”
Which whilst sounding positive doesn’t detract from the fact that Ramsbottom’s Bridge Street is still the same size, ipso facto, an accident waiting to happen.
Such scenes would be totally unacceptable in a football ground theatre or concert. Kevin Allcock via email