Mayor demands Game Fair ban until traffic issue resolved (From Oxford Mail)

Mayor demands Game Fair ban until traffic issue resolved

6:13pm Tuesday 9th September 2008 in News By David Horne

Woodstock's town mayor is calling for a ban on future Game Fairs at Blenheim Palace unless steps are taken to avoid the traffic chaos seen at July's event.

Peter Jay, a former British ambassador to Washington, has framed a strongly-worded proposal for the town council at a meeting in the Town Hall next Tuesday. He calls the long traffic queues coming to the Game Fair during July 25 to 27 a "catastrophe" and amounted to a "grave violation of the public's rights and welfare."

The fair, a national event run by the Country Landowners' Association, attracted well over 100,000 people to the grounds of the west Oxfordshire stately home.

But it also brought queues stretching for miles along the A34 and A44 approach roads, causing serious problems for commuters on the Friday morning.

Mr Jay is urging "the responsible public authorities never again to license such an event unless and until the traffic management issues have been fully considered".

The 2008 traffic problems were a virtual repeat of those in 2004. The CLA plans to use Blenheim again as the national venue in 2012 and has said it welcomes a review of traffic management.

Mr Jay was yesterday unavailable for comment, but as mayor he entrusted fellow town councillor Anthony Glees to draw up a report on the traffic problems.

Mr Glees, a Woodstock resident and professor of politics at Buckingham University, told the Oxford Mail that the "chaos was akin to a major national incident".

He said: "I was in London and Glasgow during the bomb attacks and the disruption was far, far less, it was much easier to get about.

"The problems surrounding the Game Fair were serious and it is the duty of councillors this time to really learn the lessons.

"I am sure it was a wonderful event, but it caused major public disruption. I know from 2004 what would happen, so we went away for the weekend. On the Friday, on the way to the M4, traffic was stacked up as far back as Newbury."

Mr Glees has suggested a bussing-in system, including one from nearby Hanborough railway station.

West Oxfordshire District Council is responsible for licensing and for community safety. Bill Oddy, senior officer, said a detailed review of the Game Fair problems is being undertaken and a full report will be available at the end of the year.

It draws on helicopter pictures and traffic surveys as well as consultations with town and parish councils in the area.

He said: "There are lessons to be learned. There is also a willingness on the part of the organisers to come up with solutions because they do want to hold the Game Fair again at Blenheim."

Fiona Eastman, spokesman for CLA, said: "We welcome the review. There needs to be a round-the-table discussion and we are keen to co-operate.

"There was a problem this year on the Friday and it was triggered by an accident on the A34. On the Saturday we had 10,000 more cars coming in and there was no issue.

"We would say that the whole blame cannot be put down to traffic arrangements not being good enough."