Town carnival idea put on the “back burner”

A town council committee is set to ask for £10,000 more so it can be involved in more events.

The bid from the events and communications committee of Wellington Town Council will have to be approved by the full council as part of the budget-making process before any such move is confirmed.

But committee members this week decided to rule out having ‘all singing all dancing’ carnival type of event when they met on Tuesday (Nov 25).

A previous meeting had tasked events and regeneration officer Adrienne Taylor to cost up for a carnival.

Councillor Emma Holding (Labour, Arleston ward), chairing the committee, said she wants to go “bigger and better” with the town’s events programme.

They already organise a range of events including Remembrance and Armistice Day and the upcoming Christmas Lights switch on.

The committee was told that other councils have huge budgets for such events and they are sponsored.

“Trying to pull that out of the bag in a year or 16 months is very ambitious,” the committee was told.

Councillor Holding said the idea would have to be put on the “back burner” while the council makes contact with schools and community groups.

The councillor added that it is “full steam ahead” for events at Christmas but they would need to ask for a budget for “bigger events” in 2026.

She proposed asking for a £5,000 hike.

Councillor Paul Davis (Labour, Park ward) proposed a £10,000 uplift.

“We are aspirational for the town, we want to do more,” he said.

Councillor Holding said that would give the committee a “buffer” to be able to get involved in other things.

This financial year the events and communications committee has a total budget of £133,920. The town council’s total budget was set earlier this year at £801,747.

Committee members heard that the opening date and events for the refurbished Wellington Market was not yet known. They would like to do more alongside that occasion.