Councillor Phil Broadhead is the Chairman of the Conservative Councillors’ Association and Leader of the Opposition on Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council
As former Leader of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council, I’ve witnessed the immense value of our renowned Air Festival. Celebrating its 11th year, it attracts nearly a million visitors annually, injecting a substantial £59 million into the local economy. As the UK’s largest free air festival, it marks out Bournemouth and the surrounding region as a premier destination. Simply put, it’s an unparalleled success.
Yet, winds of change blow through BCP. The Council’s leadership has shifted for the third time in four years. The latest regime? A multi-party coalition spearheaded by the Liberal Democrats, bolstered by a myriad of smaller parties and with a nod of approval, through a supply and confidence agreement, from the Green Party. Their potential inaugural decision? Axing this beloved event, leaving vacant deckchairs and disillusioned hoteliers in its wake.
How did we arrive here? The Air Festival’s future has often been under scrutiny, with some environmentally-focused Councillors advocating for its cessation for some years. Despite our efforts to offset carbon emissions to mitigate the eco-impact, detractors argue the festival glorifies a bygone, polluting era.
Earlier this year, several alternative budget proposals, including by the Lib Dem opposition, aimed to either eliminate or severely restrict the festival. However, these were quashed by the then Conservative-led Council. The opposition’s proposed £400,000 savings were debunked after an embarrassing intervention from the Council’s Chief Operating Officer pointed out that they overlooked income from car parking and other tourist-related income, such as sales of ice creams and the like. Taking into account that wider picture, the event likely only costs less than £100,000 to the Council Taxpayer – surely a small price to pay for one of the most iconic events on the South Coast.
Now, with the reins of the Council in their hands, the coalition is re-evaluating the festival. The stated reasons range from cost-saving to exploring eco-friendly alternatives. Yet, they waver under public scrutiny, leaving stakeholders and enthusiasts in uncertainty. A final decision on its future in July was abandoned, with a new deadline of October now looming. Meanwhile, businesses that rely on the festival are left in limbo, with one hospitality business telling me that if an announcement doesn’t come soon, they’ll have to start letting staff go, as the event subsidises much of their off-season.
This erratic decision-making isn’t unique to BCP. As the Conservative Party’s elected Leader of Local Government and as Chairman of the Conservative Councillor’s Association, I’ve observed similar coalition trends nationwide. An alarming 105 Councils are now under ‘no overall control’ – many led by inexperienced Councillors driven more by passion than pragmatism. Daily, we hear tales of these councils making questionable decisions, from banning meat in the Council offices in Oxfordshire to spending thousands on renaming ‘offensive roads’ in cities. Is this the governance voters anticipated?
Our mission? To rebuild trust, debunking misconceptions and showcasing Conservative reliability in Local Government. That’s not an easy job, especially when faced with the constant narrative that it’s the Tories that are to blame for all the country’s woes. Again in my Council area, the new administration cite a new £44 million gap they have to fill for next year. A closer look at the small print reveals a different story, with our outgoing Conservative administration leaving a significant surplus in excess of £15 million and the ‘£44 million gap’ arrived at by ignoring the planned £30 million of savings and efficiencies in order that the new coalition can start again in their own image.
Councils are facing an extremely testing time. With stubbornly high inflation and continued pressure their responsibilities, which includes funding vital services such as social care and vulnerable children, we need a focus on experience, not instability. We need ideas, not ideology.
Which is why we simply have to build back. As I once remarked to our troops when a rainbow coalition first appeared in our area in 2019 – before they fell apart after only 16 months – rainbows may be pretty to look at, but there’s no pot of gold at the end of them. And if we’re not vigilant, Bournemouth’s skies might also soon be devoid of planes.