Town's historic fair set to be extended

Ilkeston Charter Fair was established by Henry III in 1252

Plans to extend a town's four-day fair, believed to be one of the longest running in Europe, have been approved.

Ilkeston Charter Fair, in Derbyshire, was established by Henry III in 1252 and is set to return in October.

The fair sees rides and stalls take over the town centre with a royal charter read out by the mayor at the official opening.

The Showmen's Guild made a formal request last year to Erewash Borough Council for rides to continue for one extra day, which the authority said would "bring additional economic and cultural value to the borough".

The fair currently runs from Wednesday to Saturday but would be extended to Sunday this year, with opening hours from 13:00 to 20:00.

According to a council report, the Showmen's Guild has proposed a "quiet time" on the extra day, when the lights and music from the rides will be switched off between 13:00 to 14:30 to make the fair "more inclusive and reduce noise pollution".

'Rejuvenate the economy'

Residents were consulted over the proposal last year with the majority supporting the permanent change.

The authority, which has helped run the event since 1974, said: "The Charter Fair has been taking place in Ilkeston for over 750 years and delivers a rich cultural tradition during October of entertainment to the people of Erewash.

"The extension will deliver the corporate strategy aims to rejuvenate the local economy through bringing additional footfall into the town centre during the week of the fair and supporting our communities."

The council added the change required approval from the home secretary once it had received representation showing it should go ahead "for the convenience and advantage of the public".

A previous plan to extend the fair was rejected by the council in 2019.