WE will have to wait a little bit longer to learn the future of the Bournemouth Air Festival as the council gives itself an extra month to deliberate.
It was initially hoped a recommendation for the future of the popular annual event would be put to senior councillors at a meeting later this month.
However, the working group put together to weigh up the pros and cons of hosting the four-day event now needs an extra month for options to be explored and a formal decision to be made.
This extension will allow BCP Council and local businesses enough time to explore all financial options to secure the event's return in 2024.
Provisional dates for the show have been announced today, but only so bids can be made for military aircraft and to meet deadlines set by the Ministry of Defence.
These dates are for up to four days between Thursday, August 29 and Sunday, September 1 2024.
Deputy leader of BCP Council Millie Earl said: “In view of the financial pressures on the council and at a time when cost of living pressures continue to affect our everyday services and the budgets of our residents, we are looking at a reduced cost for Bournemouth Air Festival in 2024 and are exploring ways to make it sustainably funded.
“The working group has identified and assessed lots of opportunities, but as this is a complex situation, we will be taking one more month to ensure the right decision is made in the most robust and diligent way.
“We understand that the air festival is an important part of the season for hoteliers in Bournemouth and that they start to prepare for the forthcoming year’s bookings way in advance, but to balance these needs with the costs borne by residents we need to explore all funding alternatives thoroughly.
“We would like to thank those in our business community who have been working with us on exploring these options. These conversations have proven extremely useful and have been a crucial part of our partnership working.
“Together we are doing everything we can to make the festival vibrant and interesting, working with stakeholders and partners to do so.”
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