JULY’s Barton Bash has been called off after the organisers said they were buried by paperwork.

The annual event, which last year attracted more than 2,000 people, was due to be held on Saturday July 9 at the Neighbourhood Centre.

But organiser Sue Holden said the time constraints of filling in forms for the council had been too much.

Mrs Holden, who is also secretary of the Barton Community Association, said: “We were given lots and lots and lots of forms to fill in.

“There was quite a lot to do and we just didn’t have the capacity to fill all these forms in time.

“I think everybody has to be extra careful these days to cover every eventuality.”

The Barton Bash was launched six years ago to replace the estate’s annual carnival.

It is hoped the event could now be held in September instead.

Mrs Holden said: “We are yet to decide a date, but the Bash won’t be in the school holidays now, so hopefully more people will be around. And it will give us all something to look forward to.”

In future years, one potential idea would be to co-organise the Headington Festival with the Barton Bash. There could be either two separate events or one merged one.

The festival in Headington, held this year on Sunday, is run by a committee, which shares the duties out amongst its members.

Patrick Coulter, chair of organisers Headington Action, said: “We would have to sit down and talk to people but we would be open to working together with the Barton Bash.

“We would not want to take anything away from the people of Barton, but if that would help and it was what people want, we would be willing to try and bring both communities together.

“Because our festival has been going for so long, people are fairly well used to the paperwork.”

Earlier this month, organisers of the Cowley Road Carnival, due to take place on July 3, announced it would not be held on the road for the second time in three years. An event will be held in South Park.

Barton city councillor Van Coulter said paperwork had been increasing over the past few years.

He said: “Sue intimated the processes she was going through were quite cumbersome. It seems such a shame. This is an event that has been going for a long time and a lot of people from the community put a lot into it.”

He added: “I know myself from trying to organise events in the past how much paperwork has to be filled in.”

Oxford City Council spokesman Louisa Dean said: “We are working with the organisers to make sure that their event, whenever it is held, is a success.”