Last major summer events in Littlehampton are cancelled - including Screen on the Green

This morning (April 24), Littlehampton Town Council confirmed the Screen on the Green and Sandcastle Competition in August would not be going ahead, as well as the 18th Town Show and Family Fun Day scheduled for September.

The council had initially launched a poll with the Gazette asking people to choose which film they wanted to see at the Screen on the Green event if it was to go ahead.

But the Chairman of the Community Resources Committee, Billy Blanchard-Cooper, said that he wanted a new shortlist of films submitted next year as there may be new releases, so the results of the poll have been scrapped.

Representatives of the town council have been reviewing government guidance concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular stricter travel restrictions, social distancing requirements and the withdrawal of emergency services support for mass gatherings.

Billy said: ‘We very much hope that the situation in the UK will have improved significantly by August.

!However, given the government stance on mass gatherings and social distancing measures, we were left with no alternative but to cancel our entire summer events programme. I would like to thank everybody who took the time to vote in our Screen on the Green poll earlier this month.

"We look forward to welcoming you back to our events in 2021."

Alan Humphrey, manager of the Littlehampton Town Show, said: ‘‘The Town Show Committee are fully supportive of the difficult decision to cancel the Town Show and Family Fun Day. We would like to thank the fantastic staff and volunteers who work so hard to make this event happen every year and we look forward to seeing more outstanding exhibitions of talent and dedication next year."