Hercher’s Family Funfair at Grant Park, Forres
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
TEENAGERS and families are enjoying the showies at Grant Park, here until the end of the week.
Hercher’s Family Funfair waited to open until Friday, November 21, 72 hours after they arrived, and are working within official guidelines: cleaning the rides after use; wearing face masks and encouraging their use; and providing sanitising stations.
However, Moray Councillor George Alexander (Independent, Forres) has responded to a number of queries and complaints about the legality of the funfair’s stay under current Covid-19 pandemic rules.
He said: “The decision to allow them to set up was agreed by councillors, mainly because there was no apparent means to stop them as they abide by the rules laid down by the Scottish Government.”
Moray Council’s lands and parks department confirms funfairs are exempt from the need for a public entertainment licence if they set up in certain spots, including by the play equipment in Grant Park.
The showies have been inspected by environmental health to ensure they have appropriate safety/health arrangements in place.
Herchers has submitted risk assessments, having confirmed, before they arrived in Forres, they travelled from Fort William (also a tier one area) to Linzee Gordon Park, Buckie where they operated from November 5-15.
The Forres site will be inspected by the local authority’s lands and parks team after the fair’s departure.
Cllr Alexander said: “The main customers are school age children so the infection risk should be less – I have a lot of sympathy for young people who have had so many of their activities withdrawn due to the Covid risks.
"Ultimately it is the decision of individuals whether they choose to attend the showies or not.”
However, at Thursday's online meeting of Forres Community Council, he added: "A lot of people disapprove of the showies going ahead here. People laying wreaths at Remembrance memorials had to wait for 15 minutes between each yet crowds are allowed to mingle at Grant Park.
"The showies have been in Moray since the start of the month - I hope there is no spike in cases of Covi-19 as a result."
