Street fayre in Whitby is scrapped after objections and very

The MAY Bank Holiday street fayre is not to go ahead because of only three objections to it.
Following the success of its Easter fayre, Skinner Street and Friends Trading Together had masterminded the second one to boost trade over the busy Bank Holiday Monday and encourage more people to shop there.

Organiser Teresa Hodgkinson of the Cella Gallery had already spoken to highways, police and licensing to get the go-ahead to close part of the road off again.

There was scheduled to be stalls selling clothes, jewellery, artwork and CD and DVDs were planned and it was hoped the Whitby Jets would perform.

Also this time a stall was set to cost only £39, a saving of £16, thanks to Wilf Noble Building Supplies which was only charging half for the traffic management.

Organiser Teresa Hodgkinson said she was "upset and disappointed" the event will not go ahead.

"We will have another meeting and see where to go from here and see in the future if there is going to be this much hassle every time.

"The police were okay with it and the licensing authority.

"Everyone was excited, talking about it and looking forward to it.

"We were going to try having more of a flea market this time.

"I just got an answer phone message off North Yorkshire Highways. I rang them back and they said they had had three written objections and were not allowed to tell me who they were from. Forty seven traders and three against – it seems very unbalanced.

"The Easter one was such a success and all the traders reported an upturn in trade.

"Highways say the whole point is to keep highways open and the only way they will close one is by a popular consensus."

Previous objector Richard Buxton of Collectables Past and Present in Skinner Street insists he is not one of the objectors.

The association has lost money as it was in the processs of buying signs worth £400 from Wilf Nobles.

"Three of the signs have Skinner Street on them costing £120 and they are no good to anyone else so we have lost the money on them.

"Stalls were selling well and I have had to refund them. We need to keep momentum going and spirits up, it's a shame we never got to trial our flea market."

Les Parker, improvement mananger at county highways, said: "We had three written objections and I took anecdotal evidence into account.

"I heard taxi drivers weren't happy and there was chaos in Silver Street – a very narrow street for a diversion.

"There was support from 47 people in that locality only, not the rest of the town.

"Wider consultation is needed to address the problems."

He added the weekend is busier than Easter as the weather is warmer and said he would not rule out giving the go-ahead in the future