Hot air balloon festival coming to Leicester despite safety fears
Plans for a hot air balloon have been approved for Leicester.
Plans for an annual three-day hot air balloon festival in Victoria Park have been given the green light despite neighbours fearing it would be a ‘health and safety nightmare’.
Leicester City Council’s licensing committee granted permission for the event, which is expected to attract up to 10,000 visitors a day, following a hearing in February.
At this meeting, councillors heard from neighbours who were concerned the application would lead to too many noise and traffic issues, as well as raising safety concerns.
The event would see around 30 hot air balloons take off daily between Friday, June 19 and Sunday, June 21, with plans for a funfair, foam party and civil war reenactment.
One resident wrote to the council, pointing out that hot-air balloon launches from city parks were “a health and safety nightmare” before they were banned.
They said: “Balloons struggled to get upright without being blown over. More importantly, they didn’t rise directly upwards but were blown at sometimes alarmingly low levels, clipping trees and leaving homeowners fearing for their chimneys.”
Showtime Events Group Ltd, organising the event, say their experience running similar events in Northampton, Doncaster and Enfield gives them confidence that health and safety won’t be an issue.
David Bailey, group director, said: “It’s not going to happen like that. We have been doing this for 10 years – they are very experienced pilots with 20 to 30 years.
“We’ve never had an accident. They won’t fly if they don’t feel fit to.”
The committee ultimately decided to give the festival the green light, despite representations from Councillor Patrick Kitterick, of Castle ward (Green), asking them to ban the fireworks.
Showtime Events Group Ltd have since decided to remove fireworks from the plans in an attempt to keep residents on side.
Mr Bailey added: “I want to work with the local people, not against them. I want people to be happy and come back here year on year.
“We want to bring this to your town and you to enjoy it. If this makes it better for the council and residents, I get that.”