Foyle Maritime Festival Food Village severely impacted by amusements

The Food Village at the Foyle Maritime Festival has been severely impacted by temporary amusements being set up on Strand Road. 

Set up by Xtreme Funfair (Fundamania) and G-Force Events, it has restricted access to local LegenDerry traders who had planned to trade at the upcoming festival this week. 

The co-chair of the LegenDerry Food group, Emily McCorkell, has been working to find a solution for the traders. 

She said: “Worst-case scenario, the food village doesn’t happen as the lorry is restricting access to the generator.

“If we can’t get our generator in to power the village, then that is a major issue.

“The council is trying to alert people, but they don’t want panic, so we are hoping this scenario doesn’t happen.

“The council is really supportive and brilliant. They are doing everything they can at the moment.”

However, the council is powerless to remove the amusements as they have been set up on private land, and the only way they could be moved is if they fail a health and safety check.

And Mrs. McCorkell is worried about the impact the funfair will have on the businesses set to take part in the festival. 

She said: “We have paid £1,500 to be there at the Maritime Festival.

“What they have done is they have parked a lorry in a space, and it is taking up approximately three traders slots, and there are safety concerns about how the traders fit in. 

“There are safety concerns that if you have traders that are too close together, there is a fire risk because of fuel tanks and things like that.

“Everything had been planned pretty meticulously to make it a great safe event for everybody and hopeful economically prosperous for traders, and by them putting their lorry there, they have said, ‘it is broken down and we can’t move it; we have to have a mechanic come up from Dublin due to insurance reasons’ yet I've got friends that are mechanics, and they have said that insurance companies don’t do that.

“They don’t seem to have any desire to move.

“This is not the first time they have done this; I have gotten messages from people in Belfast, Lisburn, Castlereagh, and Ballycastle. In all these places, they have done something like this before, so it is not like it is an innocent thing that they have done once.

“If they were to move food traders due to this regarding safety concerns, the only place they could put them would be either the top or tail of the stretch on the Maritime Festival. The festival is so heavily planned right now; with the shape of the festival, you can’t just send someone as a lone wolf away to the edge of the train.”

And since LegenDerry made their statement about the situation, Mrs. McCorkell has been taken aback by the level of support given by the people of Derry.

She said: “Right now we are so desperate to make noise and get this fixed because, as co-chair of LegenDerry Food, it is my job to advocate for our traders.

“It is what I love about Derry and the council. The people will band together.

“The support throughout Derry so far after this has been great.”

Mrs. McCorkell believes the Derry City and Strabane council have been excellent at communicating about the situation and have worked meticulously to attempt to solve the problem. 

A spokesperson for the council provided a statement regarding the situation.

They said: “Derry City and Strabane District Council confirmed that the temporary amusement facility on a vacant site adjacent to Rock Mills on the Strand Road is not part of Council’s Foyle Maritime Festival programme but is being operated and managed by a private operator. Neither the landowner nor the operator have engaged with Council prior to arriving on site, and the amusement provider did not take part in the Council’s open procurement process to provide these services.

“While Council actively encourages the private sector and local businesses to be creative and innovative and to look at ways to enhance festival and events, it is extremely disappointing that this operator chose not to be part of the formal procurement process for amusement services at the festival.

“The Council has been in contact with the operator since the amusements have been set up and site inspections in relation to environmental health, planning, and health and safety regulations have been carried out. As part of the engagement with the landowner and the amusement operators, Council has also been in contact with the HSENI who is the regulator, to express its concerns.

“While there is currently no breach of legal obligations, Council does have serious concerns about the current location of this temporary amusement facility and the impact it is having on local residents, businesses, commuters, and members of the public attending the Foyle Maritime Festival this week.

“The Council-appointed amusement provider will be operating as planned but have raised significant concerns with Council. Officers are also having to engage with local food producers who had signed up to be part of the Legenderry Food stalls at the festival to inform them that this private amusement facility may also have an impact on Council’s ability to provide the food stalls in the agreed location.

“Council will continue to monitor and assess the facility over the coming days to minimise the negative impact it is having on residents, businesses, and the wider community. In the meantime, the Council would encourage the public to be mindful that this facility is not part of the Council’s Foyle Maritime Festival programme and responsibility for any activity on this site lies solely with the landowner and the amusement operators.

“Council will, however, continue to monitor and assess the facility over the coming days, and every effort will be made minimise any impact on the Foyle Maritime Festival.”

The Police Service of Northern Ireland provided comment on the situation.

It read: "Police are aware of the funfair; however it has been set up on private land. Engagement with local partners is ongoing."