- Alexander Stafford, local MP Rother Valley, launched a petition yesterday to save Sheffield Steam & Vintage Rally after Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) issued a set of last minute demands around covid security
- Today he has convened a meeting with organisers, officers from RMBC and local Councillors for Anston and Woodsetts, Cllr Tim Baum-Dixon and Cllr Tracey Wilson
- 650 residents signed Alexander's petition overnight
Alexander Stafford, local MP for Rother Valley, continued his campaign to save Sheffield Steam & Vintage Rally today by convening a meeting with local councillors for Anston and Woodsetts ward, organisers of the event and council officers from RMBC.
His petition, launched only last night, has already been signed by 650 residents and counting.
Whilst all those interested in saving the rally put up a valiant attempt, it was an incredibly disappointing outcome as organisers did not feel that they had sufficient time to satisfy the council that the event was covid safe and secure in the short timescale available. Due to the number of exhibitors and traders needing confirmation on whether the event was going ahead, it was realistically not possible to put off the decision any longer.
Commenting, Alexander said:
This is incredibly disappointing as I do not believe that the concerns that RMBC had were unsurmountable, with much of the work already done by the organisers. Unfortunately, there is not sufficient time to complete the site visits and further risk assessments that the Council would need.
I appreciate that RMBC have a duty to ensure that events are run according to the current coronavirus guidance. That said, I will be writing again to Sharon Kemp, Chief Executive of RMBC, to express my concern that the issues relating to this event were not dealt with sooner. Dialogue with the organisers only started three weeks ago, when this was an event that was in planning for a fully year, with the paperwork sent through to RMBC in March.
I will also pass on concerns that constituents have raised with me regarding why certain events have been allowed, such as the continental food market in the town centre last week. I am in complete agreement with constituents that if a football match has been allowed to go ahead with 20,000 spectators, then a steam rally event with circa 3,000 expected on a 37 acre field should have been accommodated. After all Government guidelines allowed this to go ahead, so this event should have proceeded
