
Horne’s Carnival is being packed up after the council refused its licence to operate due to a “spike” in cases of coronavirus locally.
A number of families involved in operating the carnival spent four days setting up at Caird Park where it was due to open its doors last Thursday.
Having initially granted a licence to operate, Dundee City Council allowed families at Horne’s Carnival to set up on council-owned land.
But at the last minute it withdrew the licence before the carnival could open, asking the Horne family to adjust its risk assessment in line with newly introduced restrictions, in relation to six people per group.
This resulted in a seven day wait after the carnival was due to open before the firm was informed that the council had refused its licence due to a recent “spike” in Covid cases locally.
A licence to operate at Riverside, where the family funfair was due to move to next month, was also refused.
Co-owner Christian Horne said: “I can accept the decision because we want to keep people safe too, but they should have told us that they were considering this before we set up.
“I would have taken it on the chin rather than bring everything here and set up just to wait for things to be sorted out and then get a decision.
“It was going to be the first one we’ve done since this (pandemic) happened.
“Families have had to insure their kit, tax vehicles which have been off the road, pay to have their rides tested, drive here – there’s lots of costs that people don’t know about.
“We’ve had to spend all this money on top of a global crisis when we’re already struggling. It’s another blow in a long line of blows which have been happening all year.”
Christian added that he felt “disappointed” as carnivals in other areas of the country are allowed to continue, including Aberdeen, Arbroath and Falkirk.
A spokesman for Dundee City Council said: “The convener of the licensing committee acting under delegated powers has decided to refuse both applications.
“There were significant concerns about operating a funfair at these locations and at the proposed times because of the recent steep rises in the number of positive cases of coronavirus, particularly among younger people.”
