Funfair curfew to tone down thrills

A POPULAR funfair held every summer on the Meadows has been hit with a curfew following complaints from neighbours about noise levels.

Councillors have also ordered officials to monitor the volume of the music at the shows, but they have declined an appeal from residents to ban the event.

Community groups in the area, who blame events such as the funfair for destroying the grass on the Meadows, today said they were "disappointed" with the verdict and plan to mount a concerted campaign to protect the park.

Niddrie-based showman John James Evans had already agreed to hold a shorter funfair this year, running for just 13 days from August 6, next to the tent where The Lady Boys of Bangkok perform their cabaret show.

He wanted the rides to stay open until 10.30pm each night, but a 10pm curfew was imposed by councillors on the regulatory committee.

"I think the councillors made a fair decision," he said. "I'm quite happy with shutting at 10pm.

"I hope this compromise will work out for all concerned. We're not here to make a disruption, and if people feel the music is too loud, they can phone me and I will accommodate them."

Community leaders have complained that last year's events on the Meadows left the grass in such a bad state that it only recently recovered.

But Mr Evans said: "It's not the funfair that makes the mess. The damage last year was unfortunately caused by the Moonwalk, which had some bad weather."

Councillors recently ordered a report on how other parks and gardens in the city could be used to help relieve the pressure.

But Hilary McDowell, who lives on Newington Road and is environment spokeswoman for the Southside Community Council, said most events had still been granted permission this year.

Commenting on the funfair decision, she said: "I'm very disappointed. (During August), neighbours will have to put up with disturbance day-in and day-out for a month.

"I don't think the Lady Boys should be on the Meadows at all – they should be in a theatre.

"This is a public park, and these events exclude the public and make the Meadows unusable for the rest of the year."

She added: "There will be 28 trailers with people living in them for the funfair, and the Lady Boys' area will become a shanty town. Why should the Meadows be turned into a campsite for travellers?"

At the meeting of the regulatory committee, city centre Tory councillor Joanna Mowat was the only politician opposed to the funfair's licence.

"I think a funfair in a heavily residential area is inappropriate, because they're quite noisy," she said today.

"I don't have an objection to funfairs per se, but the noise, the diesel fumes, the smell and the thump of the machinery make it an awful lot for people to put up with."

Convener Colin Keir said the committee will block events such as funfairs only if they affect people so much that it "makes life miserable".

"We took the recommendations of police to have a 10pm curfew and our officers will monitor sound," he said.

"The committee isn't here to decide on the future use of the Meadows. Whether it is a green space for Edinburgh or is the locals' backyard is a discussion that has to be heard in another place."