The organisers of the Altrincham French Festival have called on Trafford Council to take action to improve the state of Stamford Park after admitting they had been left with no option but to move the festival from its usual location.
Weeks of rain have left the main area of the park badly waterlogged, and organisers have decided to move the event – set to take place on Sunday July 10th – to an adjoining football pitch.
They say that despite many attempts to convince the Council to address drainage problems in the park, very little has happened.
One large patch of water has failed to drain for weeks now, even through dry and warm spells, and the recent heavy rain and unsettled forecast has left organisers with no choice but to make contingency plans for a festival that has enjoyed three successful years and attracted 5,000 people last year.
And Zainul Sachak, who founded the festival, suggested that Trafford Council had neglected some of the town’s green spaces. The Council has outsourced a number of its services to Amey PLC since 2015.
He said: “Trafford Council has been spending a lot of money on the regeneration of Altrincham town centre, but very little appears to have been spent on maintaining green spaces to an acceptable standard.
“How can you showcase the town if you neglect areas which a large majority of the local community use on a regular basis?
“I am aware that Trafford Council outsourced the maintenance of all their green spaces and buildings to Amey, a private company last year. I am aware that cost savings were achieved by outsourcing which I suggest limited the scope of the work that Amey are required to do on behalf of the Council.”
He called on the Council to address the issue “urgently”.
“Stamford Park is a fantastic communal space but as anyone can see, in its current, waterlogged state it’s not fit for many activities,” he added.
“We hope the Council has listened to our and local residents’ concerns and address this issue urgently so that local people can use the park freely and enjoy organised events throughout the summer and beyond.”
A statement from Amey PLC said it was “committed” to ensuring an “appropriate maintenance programme” is in place ahead of next year’s festival.
It said: “Representatives from Amey and Trafford Council met with the event organisers on Wednesday. After close examination of the issues it was agreed by everyone involved to switch the festival ground to an area of the field that had not suffered flooding. Both Amey and the Council are pleased that a compromise could be reached and will be investigating the flooding issues further to see if the situation can be rectified in time for next year’s festival.
“Amey, who took responsibility for maintenance of Trafford’s parks and green spaces from Trafford Council in July 2015 under the One Trafford Partnership, and the Council are committed to ensuring an appropriate maintenance programme is in place so Trafford’s parks continue to be attractive environments that local people and visitors enjoy.”
A small group of volunteers has been working on the French Festival’s organisation for several months.
On the back of last year’s success, the 2016 festival has been extended to a three-day event.
As well as the main event in Stamford Park on Sunday July 10th, there’s also a French Classical concert on Friday 8th July at Bowdon Downs Church, followed on Saturday 9th July with a Carnival style parade through Altrincham and a “Bastille Party” with a masquerade theme at Bowdon Rugby Club.
