Saturday saw the conclusion of a year’s planning for the third Art in the Park event in Monkton Park, Chippenham and the best yet. The public had great fun and money was raised for the local Rotary Snap charity but the story as to how we arrived at the event may be of interest to others in a similar position and I would welcome further comment.

A few months prior to the event I, as then president of the Rotary Club of Chippenham, and two of my fellow Rotarians were invited to an ‘informal’ meeting with a health and safety representative of Wiltshire Council. On arrival we where confronted with a huge meeting made up of seven health and safety officers, a minute secretary, a manager from the ambulance service, a police sergeant and civilian police events employee and a senior officer from Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service. Some two hours later we emerged bemused but they all said they were there to help us. Emails and plans, risk assessments were all provided as requested and an event licence was issued. Was that it? No. We then received an email from the fire service setting out 69 conditions before we could go ahead with the event. A face to face meeting was arranged where it was asked if the fire officer would give us advice. ‘No’ came the reply. “We are now the enforcing agency and are not allowed to give you advice.”

Was that it? No. The day prior to the event my team and I were working in Monkton Park setting up when a council health and safety officer appeared. He pointed out that we had not been signed off and had no authority to be on the parkland. The appropriate authority was found and he then went on to say he had not seen our traffic management plan and what were the three vehicles doing parked on the grass? The team felt like giving up. Was it worth the effort? More paperwork was handed over and off he went.

All we ask of Wiltshire Council and the Fire and Rescue Service is to be reasonable. During the process we felt that they were always looking for faults and never helped us. We were running no more than a large fete with an unblemished two-year history. Insurances were in place and risk assessments had been completed. All we needed was a little help and a huge lumps of common sense. I am concerned that the voluntary sector will be overwhelmed by petty rules and regulations. Where will it all end?

Roger Greenslade, Osmund Road, Devizes.