Resolving the problem of residents’ parking over Mop weekend took a step backwards at this week’s fair

The arrangement for residents to access their home parking areas that was introduced for the first Mop Fair two weeks ago was withdrawn for Saturday’s (18 October) event.
 
For the first (Little) Mop Fair, some residents of the High Street area were supplied with laminated passes and on showing these to the private security staff manning the road closure barriers were allowed to proceed to their homes provided they travelled carefully with hazard warning lights activated.
 
Yesterday (Saturday 18 October) this arrangement was withdrawn, and on arrival at the barriers residents were turned away and told to park elsewhere.
 
None of the security guards asked were able to explain why the arrangement had changed, other than “probably due to health & safety”.   No-one was available from Wiltshire Council to give a reason for the change.
 
When interviewed one resident, who requested that their name not be published, commented that “although the Mop Fair is only an inconvenience on two Fridays and Saturdays each year it should be the Town Council’s responsibility to look after their resident’s interests.  Although this was a success on the first weekend, the second could have been handled better.”