£80 fine for illegal funfair on the Prom

Ben Pritchard, 52, admitted breaching the Town and Country Planning Act at
the first hearing of his 
case before Blackpool Magistrates.

Justices did not accept details of his financial position and adjourned the hearing so that Pritchard of Cherry Tree Road,Marton,could produce paperwork about his accounts.

At the resumed hearing the defendant produced a letter from his accountant.

Lynda Bennett, prosecuting for Blackpool Council, told the court that the fair continued to operate for 18 nights on a demolition site on the Promenade.

The local authority issued a stop notice ordering the rides and music to end, but nothing was done.

The council then went to county court and gained an injunction forbidding its operation during the Illuminations period last year.

The injunction was served and the fair finally closed.

The prosecutor said the fair was charging £5 a time to go on rides and the fair was operating daily between 4pm and midnight.

She said council officers had estimated the fair had made up to £7,500 a week profit.

There had been compl-aints from neighbouring hotels about disturbance to guests.

Prichard told the resumed hearing that he felt he had become mixed up in a battle between the council and the landowners and had merely acted as a middleman.

He said there were three other sites – one at a Grade II-listed building – operating in a similar manner, but nothing had been done about them.

The prosecutor said: “Mention has been made of these others sites and the council will take action if appropriate.”

Taking into account Pritchard’s new financial statement, Blackpool magistrates fined him £80 and ordered him to pay £120 costs.