Big Weekend Big Letdown for many

According to the Council’s website

As thousands of people prepare to descend on Pontypridd for the biggest event of the year, the town’s  owners with the aim of promoting the town, a whole host of meal deals are being introduced on the Big Weekend.

Now whilst it is good to see events which promote Pontypridd the Council are a long way from getting it right in terms of the balance between publicity and genuinely bringing trade into the town, or between putting on popular events and allowing local residents to enjoy the Park.

Local traders should benefit from events such as the Big Weekend – but the Council should be taking the lead and doing all they can to support them and enable them to cash in on the influx of visitors.

Last year amongst the complaints the fact that people were not allowed to take food into the Park was amongst the most common. Only bottled water was allowed in, people were instead expected to buy from the franchises inside – who were not local traders and charges in some cases extortionate prices.

This year the Council and its partners are allowing ticket holders to enter the Park along the designated route with their food as long as it is consumed prior to reaching the actual concert area itself.

Wow!  How great is that?  You can buy a bag of chips in town and the Council will graciously allow you to eat them as you walk along the ‘designated route’ – as long as you finish them before you enter the hallowed ground where the concert is to be held.

The same hallowed ground that includes the cricket pitch.  The users of that facility are furious that some un-named person in the Council has decided that the concert should encroach upon the pitch yet again, a move which threatens to rule it out of use for months to come.

The Labour Council have no interest in Pontypridd or in local residents.  Headlines are all well and good but it is what happens behind the headlines that matters.