A popular Santa float that tours Bath each December may not return this Christmas after the council highlighted crowd safety concerns to the organisers and told them they would need an events licence.
The charity Santa float | Photo © Jerry Davis / Santa Christmas Float
Santa’s Christmas Float has been running for four years.
Designed and built by Jerry Davis, it is sponsored by Able Scaffold Bath, and also toured parts of Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Wiltshire last month to raise £15,000 for chosen charity Suicide Prevention UK.
But Mr Davis says he’s now been told by Bath & North East Somerset Council that the float is “dangerous” as it brings so many people out of their homes.
It would need to go through the council’s events planning to tour in the city again.
Mr Davis said: “This is definitely not what the Santa float was about, to make the council money.”
He said the float had been running without any problems, with no costs to anyone apart from the organisers and with all money raised going to charity.
The float is very popular across the area | Photo © Jerry Davis / Santa Christmas Float
He said: “We have come to the decision that we will not be running the Santa float around the streets of Bath and lining the council’s pockets so Bath will be struck off the list.”
Responses on Facebook have been highly critical of the council including: “I don’t see why they need to be involved, thieves of joy, ignore them and carry on.”
Another person commented: “Stop being so stuffy B&NES, the Santa float is amazing; not only do you bring misery to drivers now you want to ruin Christmas, bah humbug.”
Another observed: “What about the danger navigating the streets of Bath when the pointless ever growing Christmas market is on.”
A petition to show the strength of feeling to keep the float in Bath has been started, with nearly 500 signatures recorded so far.
Councillor Tim Ball, cabinet member for Neighbourhood Services at Bath & North East Somerset Council, said: “Our events team has recently spoken with the organisers of the Santa float, Able Scaffolding Bath, to offer to help them plan a successful event this Christmas should they wish to run one and to highlight correct licensing and road safety advice.
“This follows concerns that were raised by the police and our highways team about the event in December 2023.
“Any events which involve people being on foot in roads where vehicles are passing need appropriate licences and traffic management plans to keep everyone safe.
“We have spoken to both Able Scaffold Bath and Suicide Prevention about these requirements andencourage them to continue to work with us should they wish to run another event in the future.”
Event organisers can find information to help them plan events on our website at https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/plan-your-outdoor-event.”
