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Police cutbacks force Scouts to drop parade




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An annual parade of hundreds of Scouts and Guides through Newark town centre is unlikely to go ahead this year after the police withdrew support.

Scout and Guide groups from the Newark area take part in the St George’s Day parade from the Mount Primary School, King’s Road, to Newark Parish Church via town centre streets and the Market Place.

In previous years, Nottinghamshire Police has provided road blocks and marshalled the event free of charge.

However, because of cuts to its budget and resources, the force has re-evaluated coverage of events and withdrawn support for public parades that do not pose a threat to public safety.

The Scouts have been told they must apply for a temporary traffic regulation order to close the road and pay for someone to marshal it privately, which would cost around £800.

The police are applying guidance in the Traffic Management Act 2004, which passed responsibility for managing roads to local councils.

This includes the implementation of temporary traffic regulation orders that are required for road closures during parades, carnivals and other community events.

Nottinghamshire Police said it would marshal closures only for Armistice Day, jubilees and military events.

Although a St George’s Day parade is unlikely to go ahead, the traditional service will be held in the parish church on April 27, the Sunday after St George’s Day.

Others parades in the county could also be affected.

The Scouts’ Newark district commissioner Mr Richard Moyses said it was disappointing.

“This is one of our public displays. We put everyone out there and it’s our chance to show them off to the public,” he said.

He said the parade was a fantastic advert for Scouting and Guiding.

They considered holding a parade and service at Newark Showground but it would not have the same public impact.

Mr Moyses said they would assemble in the Market Place and walk to the church from there. He said an alternative was to meet in the church gardens before the service.

He said he had been told they couldn’t parade down Church Street and around the Market Place because, despite being predominantly closed to traffic, it was still a public highway.

He said district secretary Mr Sentley Wilson was appealing to Nottinghamshire Police to marshal the event.

A police spokesman said: “Following national guidance we have had to make a decision which is consistent as it would be unfair to police one community event and not another.”



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