The controversial decision by a majority vote of the Weymouth Town Council services committee is being called in so it can be re-examined.

The motion to call in the controversial decision is proposed by councillor Luke Wakeling, who is not on the committee but was "disappointed" by the outcome of last week's meeting.

Councillor Luke Wakeling said: "I was sat at the back of the Services Committee last week, and was very disappointed that Committee members failed to discuss any benefits of the fair, or any compromises which could reduce some of the concerns raised.

"I'm grateful to the other councillors who have backed the call-in, and look forward to a better debate of the matter on the 8th of March. If there are any residents or businesses who have views on this matter, please contact your local councillor before the meeting, and let them know your thoughts."

The issue is to be debated at 7pm on the 8th of March at a Full Council meeting at the council offices on Commercial Road, Weymouth.

Members of the public are welcome to attend. Residents can also contact their councillor to discuss the issue - you can find out who your ward councillor is by visiting www.weymouthtowncouncil.gov.uk/councillors

Funfairs at the Pavilion forecourt could be back on as the unpopular decision to curtail the events is being called in to a full council meeting (Image: Weymouth Town Council)

A potential U-turn could now be on the cards after, as reported, irate hoteliers and manager of Weymouth Pavilion have raised grievances over shrieking and anti-social behaviour during fairground nights.

Councillors who voted against the funfair feel the council should be doing everything it can to support local businesses, particularly amid the cost of living crisis and soaring energy bills - as hotels and guest houses are also employers of local staff.

But the decision to curtail the funfairs - which mainly affects the Pavilion forecourt site; the Jubilee Clock site will still have 20 days' worth of rides throughout the year - has been incredibly unpopular among residents.

There has been an avalanche of support from local people on social media, as well as a significant response so far from readers of the Dorset Echo.

We have launched an online survey where you can share your views - please feel free to comment below, using the form at the end of this article.

What is being proposed?

The motion that will go before the full council meeting on March 8 proposes that Weymouth Town Council agrees to reinstate the following funfair bookings on the Pavilion forecourt for 2023:

• April 29 - May 1 (3 days over May day bank holiday)
• May 6 - May 8 (3 days over Coronation weekend)
• May 27 - June 4 (May half term, 9 days)
• July 24 - August 31 (summer holidays, 39 days)
• October 21 - October 29 (half term, 9 days)
• November 5 - bonfire night, 1 day

Also proposed are amendments to terms and conditions so that the funfair can open until 10.30pm on event nights, and on other nights will close at 9.30pm.

Setting up / breaking down of equipment would not be allowed to take place after 10pm or before 8am.

Funfair operators would have to reduce volume levels of music and announcements for the last hour of operation each day.

These proposed measures could be a potential compromise - but the outcome will not be known until the meeting takes place next Wednesday the 8th.

What is the story so far - and what exactly has been cancelled?

Not only has this story had more twists and turns than, well, a funfair ride, but as with any local government issue, there's a fair amount of paperwork and jargon to bust.

To say funfairs have been cancelled is a more straightforward way of explaining a complex issue.

Essentially, around 74 days' worth of funfairs were initially proposed by Weymouth Town Council around the end of last year (although the council's paperwork also states 71 days) - but the majority of those dates would not go ahead under the recent decision.

It comes after members of the Weymouth Hotel and Guesthouse Leaseholders Association attended a council meeting to voice their dismay.

Part of their upset was due to hotel proprietors having previously raised the issue of the large, noisier rides being sited near the Jubilee Clock with the council - which they thought had been resolved; among other topics, such as alleged ASB at both the Pavilion and promenade sites.

So they were shocked to find the proposals put forward for an extended 74 days' worth of rides back on the agenda for 2023.

The hoteliers did not hold back during that first services committee meeting in December - many stood up to speak, giving emotive accounts of "drug taking, public frolicking, urination" and other allegations of disruptive and intimidating behaviour, said to be caused by young patrons of the funfairs.

They said guests were leaving bad reviews and refusing to return, and that the larger rides near the clock tower obscured the view of the beach that guests had paid to see.

At the time we contacted Edward Danter of Danters' fairs to give him the opportunity to tell his side of the story.

Just like the hoteliers, he appeared genuinely upset over the issue. Mr Danter felt many of the allegations were unfounded, although acknowledged that there had been a couple of recent occasions during the 30+ years he has bringing the fair to Weymouth, where police have had to be called - although he said the incidents happened on the Esplanade and did not occur on the fairground site.

He said troublesome behaviour was not allowed and that he has security staff who refuse anyone who appears intoxicated.

Part of the hotel and guesthouse leaseholders' complaint is that when the funfair closes for the night, the problem of loutish behaviour really begins. 

They claim that after the fair, youngsters congregate in Alexandra Gardens, which is just over the road from a row of guest houses. 

But the other side of the coin, according to supporters of the fair, is that youths gather in the area of the Esplanade regardless of whether the fair is held or not.

Mr Danter has questioned whether the fair can be blamed for youth ASB. 

Young people on the new Weymouth Youth Council say it gives young people something to do in the evenings.

The youngsters confidently addressed the services committee during a packed evening meeting last month, and were praised by councillors on both sides of the debate, as well as hoteliers who were there on the night. 

The debate has been ongoing as the decision to approve the proposed 74 days' of funfairs was complicated by several factors.

Chiefly, this boils down to exploring options for a compromise.

The decision was never going to be an easy one to make - it was deferred several times, so that council officers could investigate proposals for alternative sites, and possible terms and conditions that could be added into the contract with the operator of funfairs.

The peninsula behind the Pavilion and the Swannery car park were deemed ideal solutions - both were kyboshed by landowner Dorset Council, for a variety of reasons which we have covered in previous articles.

Terms and conditions proposed included additional security staff, with costs to be met by fair operators; CCTV; earlier finish times, and a ban on tannoy announcements except for safety announcements.

Councillors who voted against the fair last week have expressed dismay that there ought to have been further compromise options on the table.

The majority vote saw a majority of members on the services committee vote against the fair - five were against, two were in favour.

They said that due to the lack of alternative sites or a proper compromise, the proposed bookings at the Pavilion site should not go ahead this year. 

This does not affect bookings that had previously been agreed.

Which Weymouth funfair dates can still go ahead in 2023?

Unless the decision is reversed when it is re-examined at the forthcoming full council meeting, the only bookings that can definitely go ahead are:

• Easter holiday funfair at Weymouth Pavilion forecourt 
• 20 days' worth of separate funfair events at the Jubilee Clock site, which can be held at various dates throughout the year.
  
  These are subject to terms and conditions to mitigate potential noise and disruption.

The case for the fair

It is worth mentioning that the funfair helps to generate revenue for the town council, as the operator has to pay a fee of around £23,000, which goes into the council's coffers and can be used to fund local events and services within the jurisdiction of Weymouth Town Council.

The funfair operator also has to pick up the tab for the cost of renting the site from landowner Dorset Council - as well as any other costs that are written into the contract.

There is also a reputational risk to the council over the recent decision, as there has been significant public outcry.

At times, the media has been blamed for some of the backlash.

Hoteliers had previously expressed dismay when the Echo first broke the story, which saw legions of readers take to social media to support the fair.

The Echo does not condone personal attacks of any kind, and we urge people who comment or share our stories to be respectful. 

Do you think the council should reverse the decision - or should funfairs be stopped? Let us know in our online survey below.