A popular air show that attracted around 600,000 people has been axed after a council raised concerns about its impact on the climate. Bournemouth Air Festival, featuring displays from the Red Arrows and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, ran over four days for 16 years with visitors giving local businesses a boost of around £59million.
But the Lib Dem-run local authority declared a “climate emergency” and has pledged to go carbon neutral by 2040. Town hall officials said the festival could not go ahead because of carbon emissions from the planes and the extra traffic travelling to the venue.
Conservative councillor Phil Broadhead said: “The air festival is a staple of the Bournemouth tourism calendar and I am sure hotels and the hospitality industry are terrified of it going. Saying we don’t like planes, therefore we should ban the air festival for the sake of three or four days that brings millions to the local economy, is a step too far.
“On that note, we shouldn’t be doing anything that generates any carbon whatsoever. What we are doing is banning fun.”
Rosie Radwell, chairwoman of the Bournemouth Area Hospitality Association, said: “It is a great shame because the air festival was a big boost for Bourmemouth. It is a huge loss to the area. I don’t think tourism is the top priority for this council.”
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council also said it could no longer afford the £250,000 to put it on. The council has just hired a chief executive on a salary of £220,000.
Labour councillor Sue Aitkenhead said: “It’s a great day out but at the same time I do recognise that we have a climate emergency.
“If we had all the money in the world I would like to see us mitigate the carbon that is used on it and still somehow justify running the event. However, we don’t have all the money in the world.”
Fellow Labour member Michelle Dower added: “I don’t really like the flying. We are in a climate emergency and we should be looking at more ways to attract tourists to Bournemouth. It also creates chaos on the roads. I believe it has had its day.”
But plane fan Darren Carey, 46, said it was “stupid”, adding: “Torbay and Eastbourne are still having their air shows. Why didn’t they just scale it back or hold it every other year? They seemed hellbent in getting rid of it.”
