a day ago
Elderly Notting Hill residents bussed out to the seaside in taxpayer-funded £25,000 seaside trip to avoid Carnival
Elderly residents in Notting Hill will be getting away for a three-night £25,000 taxpayer-funded seaside trip in order to avoid the carnival.
Notting Hill Carnival, held in the capital since 1966, returns on August 24 and 25, drawing crowds of around two million people last year.
To give those living directly on the route some respite, 21 locals will enjoy a seaside break in Eastbourne, East Sussex, organised by Kensington and Chelsea Council and Age UK
The council is spending £25,612 on the getaway, which works out at about £1,100 per person, covering travel, accommodation, staff and carers, insurance and administration.
The partnership with Age UK has been running since 2017 and is open to residents aged 65 and over who meet strict eligibility criteria, such as being over 65 years old and living directly on the carnival route
Cllr Kim Taylor-Smith, Lead Member for Culture at Kensington and Chelsea Council, said: 'Carnival is a wonderful celebration enjoyed by so many people, but we know that the sights, sounds and crowds are not for everyone.
'This trip offers a bit of calm for some of our older residents who would prefer not to be at the heart of the action.
'It's just one of the ways we support our residents and support Carnival. This year our hard-working crews will be back out cleaning up on both days.
'To everyone attending this year's Carnival – have a safe and enjoyable time,' he told MyLondon.
Last year, the scheme cost the council £24,000 to take 21 residents on a similar trip and that is down from £31,000 the year before, when 42 people took part.
The Carnival is Europe's largest street festival, and in June, its organisers said it could be cancelled without 'urgent funding' from the government after a review of the festival identified 'critical public safety concerns'.
Last year, more than 300 people were arrested, and eight people were stabbed during the event, which attracts up to two million visitors.
Ian Comfort, the Carnival's chair, said in a letter seen by the BBC that additional funding was needed to address the issues and make sure it was safe to run.
He is understood to have written to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to request the money, which is 'essential to safeguarding the future and public safety of this iconic event'.
At the time, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said it would 'respond to the letter in due course'.
