The Festival of (hot) Air

The Spring 2012 edition of Outlook magazine (produced by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council) includes some words on that year’s (at the time) impending air festival:

Outlook magazine, Spring 2012

ONE of Europe’s largest free air spectaculars is all set for take off again in the Borough. Hundreds of thousands of spectators are expected to pack along two miles of seafront …. It will be the 27th year that Southend-on-Sea has staged the huge two-day event which regular attracts up to half a million people.

The Spring 2011 edition includes the following:

Outlook magazine, Spring 2011

AROUND half a million people are expected at the 26th annual Southend Air Festival …. At one of Europe’s largest free airshows.

I understand why the decision to stop contributing towards the airshow was made (Southend Labour has called for this in previous years – see No more taxpayers’ cash for airshow says Labour) but what amazes me is that in the years that we argued for the money to be spent elsewhere we were told that it contributes up to £1million to the local economy.

As recently as 2011 it was reported (Southend Air Show to continue despite council cuts:

Derek Jarvis, Tory councillor responsible for culture and tourism, is sure the show will go on.

He said: “There are so many people who enjoy it. I do not think stopping it would be an option.

“Obviously it’s not possible to know what might happen in future years, but we have already started planning for next year’s event. I cannot see any changes in the foreseeable future.”

Anita Thornberry, the council’s head of enterprise, said: “Although the council has made a loss on the event in recent years, it benefits traders by bringing hundreds of thousands of people into Southend.

“The financial loss to the authority is outweighed by the positive effect the airshow has on the town’s tourist economy.”

Cllr Tony Cox has written on the airshow over the years:

2011 … was fortunate enough to visit both days of the Southend Airshow and what a fantastic event it was … This was the 26th Airshow and hopefully still going strong.

2013 … many businesses have privately over the years said to me that they do not need the Airshow as they will busy anyway due to it being a bank holiday weekend.

Why no mention of this when Labour was calling for this cut in previous years?

Cllr James Courtenay also claimed: … this year’s Airshow, a big thing not only for our residents but our local economy

One could say the local Tories are inconsistent, one could say that they have misled the town’s residents.

The ruling administration will not enjoy reading the comments attached to the Save Southend Airshow petition.