Bournemouth Air Festival: MP starts petition against funding cut

The Red Arrows will not feature in the 2024 show

An MP has started a petition to "save Bournemouth Air Festival".

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council has proposed inviting external organisations to fund and run the festival from 2025.

But Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood said the move would put the town's "flagship event under threat".

BCP culture councillor Andy Martin said the proposal was about supporting businesses that depend on the visitor economy with a "long-term way forward".

Tobias Ellwood said he was "astonished" by the council's decision

The authority, led by the Three Towns Alliance, has been consulting businesses on alternative ways of funding and running the event as it attempts to tackle a £44m budget shortfall.

On Wednesday, BCP's cabinet is due to debate recommendations to cut the 2024 event to three days, as well as reduce funding from £400,000 to £200,000.

The report recommends there should be "no council funding or direct staffing support for the air festival beyond 2024" but does not recommend it should be cancelled.

On his petition page, Mr Ellwood said: "Cancelling Bournemouth Air Festival would severely damage our reputation, our economy, our hospitality sector and have a long and damaging effect on our tourism industry."

The air festival attracts about a million visitors to the conurbation

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Ellwood said: "I'm astonished that the council is not looking at more clever ways to make sure this important annual event takes place.

"It brings, I understand, between £30m and £50m to the local economy so it is very short-sighted to cancel the air show itself."

Mr Martin said: "Our area is built on a visitor economy and this proposal is about supporting the businesses that depend on it with a long-term way forward, while also recognising the cultural value it brings in making the area a great place to live, work and play."

Next year's event is due to take place from 29 to 31 August but will not feature the Red Arrows due to the team's overseas commitments.