Former Calne Town Mayor Jon Fisher has called on Calne Town Council to answer a series of questions following yesterday's last-minute cancellation of the Calneval of Colour and Calne Summer Festival.
Mr Fisher, who served as Town Mayor in 2024/25, described the decision as "completely unacceptable" and said residents deserve to know how the situation was allowed to develop just one day before the event was due to take place.
In a statement, Mr Fisher said: "As a former Town Mayor I find it appalling that the Calne Carnival has been cancelled. That this happened at the very last minute, is completely unacceptable."
Mr Fisher said he attended Monday evening's Full Council meeting as a member of the public and noted that neither the council's most senior officer nor its events officer attended the meeting. He also said there was no indication that the carnival was at risk of being cancelled just four days before the decision was made.
He is now calling on the council to explain how the decision unfolded and has asked a number of questions, including:
- When officers first became aware the event was at risk.
- When councillors were informed.
- Whether concerns about the event were discussed ahead of Monday's Full Council meeting.
- What efforts were made to recruit additional volunteer marshals.
- Whether any members of the public who offered to help were overlooked.
- What attempts were made to secure professional security staff.
- Who ultimately made the decision to cancel the event.
- Whether stallholders will be compensated.
- How much the cancellation has cost the council.
Looking beyond this year's event, Mr Fisher said he hopes the cancellation will prompt a wider conversation about the future of Calneval.
He said: "The carnival is perhaps the most important day in Calne's calendar. On the back of this fiasco, it is worth facing up to the fact that the event has actually gone a little stale. It has been more of the same, rinse and repeat every year for a while now.
"It would be great if the community now steps up to work in partnership with the Council to renew and refresh this great event. I truly hope the council invites the community to do this."
Another former Town Mayor Robert Merrick has also spoken out following the cancellation, saying he believes there are serious questions to answer but also arguing that responsibility should not rest solely with council officers.
Mr Merrick said he has already requested information about meetings of the council's events working group since May and whether they were quorate, adding that he believes more could have been done to publicise the need for volunteer marshals.
However, he also said officers "can only do so much" and suggested councillors themselves have a responsibility to support major community events.
Reflecting on his own time on the council, he said: "In my time it was hard to get marshals, but as councillors we went out and drafted friends and family to come and help. That's what being a councillor is all about – we are there for the town."
Mr Merrick also questioned the culture surrounding the organisation of events, saying: "Instead of team work with a strong leadership and an environment where staff want to give up their weekends to help councillors help the town, it just seems to be about who do we blame."
He added that he believes the cancellation will have significant financial and reputational consequences for the town.
"Economically the town has lost thousands, which I feel the council needs to be ready to resolve. But reputationally it's a shambles," he said.
Mr Merrick concluded: "Calne events were something to be proud of, but now who is going to trust them moving forward? I am deeply upset for our residents."
A spokesperson for Calne Town Council told Calne News: “It is with great disappointment that we had to cancel this year’s Calneval.
"Unfortunately, we were unable to secure the minimum number of trained marshals required from an external provider to deliver the event safely.
"The safety of everyone participating and attending is our highest priority - particularly in light of the high temperatures forecast - and without sufficient marshals and security coverage, the event could not go ahead.
"Once the staffing issue came to light, we explored a range of options, including reaching out to local organisations and alternative staffing providers, but we were unable to resolve the safety concerns in time.
"We regularly seek volunteers for all our events and promote these opportunities through the Calne Connection newsletter and social media.
"Despite these efforts, the level of support received was not enough to safely deliver even elements of the day. Delaying the decision further would likely have resulted in the same outcome at a much later stage.
"We appreciate that this news is disappointing for those who had planned to take part or attend, and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused.
"Activities such as the Teddy Bear Parachute at St Mary’s Church, Clare’s Circus on The Green, the Love Calne Market, and Jennings Funfair still went ahead as planned. Love Calne also kindly offered space for additional stalls in Phelps Parade to support those affected.
"Plans are underway to ensure that the prize fund will be distributed to entrants in the procession. Thank you for your understanding and continued support.”
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