Two local stallholders at the Harrogate Christmas Market have expressed their frustrations after the event was cancelled for a second year in a row.
Harrogate Borough Council blamed the move on the event organiser’s event management plan when it released a statement on Thursday evening.
The council said the plan did not take the “risk of overcrowding and necessary evacuation procedures, counter-terrorism measures and the ongoing risk of covid” into account.
It is a decision which not only took the organiser Brian Dunsby by surprise but also some of the local stallholders.
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Steve Green, co-founder of Harrogate Tipple, told the Stray Ferret:
“This is just horrific and pathetic. It is a disgrace, I feel really strongly about the way the council announced this as well on Twitter.
“The council did not give us any heads up. It took us a little while to become a stallholder but ever since it has been great for us.
“It has been great for local businesses and for the other stallholders too so I am absolutely dumbfounded.”
Rob Whitehead, managing director of The Serious Sweet Company, also the Stray Ferret:
“Harrogate’s Christmas market works extremely well, it is a good demonstration of local businesses.
“It all seems very unfair really, I just do not understand. Our business normally just supplies supermarkets.
“But we like to do the local Christmas market as well and we have built up quite a loyal following over the years.”
The event organisers hope to hold urgent talks with Harrogate Borough Council soon to try and save the three-day event.
