North Lincolnshire Council stresses that Brigg Horse Fair 2020 must be cancelled. And it has put measures in place to ensure that land the local authority owns near the railway station is not used to stage the historic event on Wednesday, August 5.
The reason is concern about public health during the Covid-19 Coronavirus emergency, with limits placed by the Government on public gatherings. Social distancing is seen as a key factor.
Brigg Horse Fair is not an officially sanctioned event; it is organised by people who come to Brigg from far and wide. Some of them bring steeds to be paraded and sold, while others attend to enjoy the spectacle as their parents and grandparents did in past decades. Arriving from across the north and midlands, they are used to parking caravans on land near the station for a week or more prior to the event, which usually attracts many spectators from Brigg and nearby towns and villages.
During Brigg Town Council's latest meeting, Coun Penny Smith inquired what was happening about this year's Horse Fair and social distancing.
Coun Rob Waltham, the Leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said it was planned to send out a clear message stating that, for public health reasons, the Horse Fair "could not happen."
It was intended to lock the entrances leading to the usual site because the Horse Fair was "not safe."
Coun Waltham made it clear that any people who turned up would not be welcome.
Humberside Police also stresses that Brigg Horse Fair 2020 is cancelled.
Chief Insp Paul French said: “I can reassure residents that we have heard nothing to suggest that anyone will be looking to travel to the area, knowing that the event is cancelled.
“Brigg Horse Fair is a long-established event organised by our Gypsy and Traveller communities and, like all mass gatherings and events, would not be permitted to take place in 2020 and has rightly been cancelled.
“There will be a police presence through the time that the event would have taken place and I hope this will offer reassurance to all our communities.
“Anyone that has concerns about any neighbourhood policing issue can, of course, always contact us to share their concerns by calling our non-emergency number 101.”
Brigg Blog's picture (above) shows the barrier down at the northern end of Station Road which leads to the traditional Horse Fair site.