Bournemouth council has cancelled the town's beloved Air Festival after 16 years.
The popular four-day event, which features the Red Arrows and draws 600,000 visitors every year, has been canned - with Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (BCP) Council blaming surging costs.
Council officials have said costs have risen across insurance, security, infrastructure and even counter-terrorism measures, which have effectively forced the authority's hand.
The decision has sparked fierce criticism from both inside and outside the council, with critics pointing to how the event generates as much as £60million for the local economy.
PICTURED: The Aerosuperbatics Wingwalkers perform at the 2018 Bournemouth Air Festival
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And one Conservative councillor, Phil Broadhead, accused BCP of cancelling the event over "climate change" concerns - a claim which the Lib Dems, who run the authority, have refuted.
"Saying we don't like planes, therefore we should ban the air festival for the sake of three or four days that brings millions to the local economy is a step too far," he fumed.
"On that note, we shouldn't be doing anything that generates any carbon whatsoever," Broadhead added. "What we are doing is banning fun."
Meanwhile, Bournemouth Area Hospitality Association chairwoman Rosie Radwell said the cancellation is "a great shame because the air festival was a big boost for Bournemouth".
"I don't think tourism is the top priority for this council," she added, and called the cancellation as "a huge loss to the area".
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Cancelling the much-loved event is 'a great shame because the air festival was a big boost for Bournemouth', Rosie Radwell said
PA
It comes just weeks after the same local authority revealed it would be unable to afford to host a celebration for the 80th anniversary of VE Day in Poole.
A BCP council spokesman said residents were instead being urged to stage street parties to celebrate Victory in Europe.
BCP Council also cancelled a celebration for the 80th anniversary of VE Day in Poole just weeks earlier
PAEx-British Army Major Mike Shearer told GB News the move was "shocking" and "absurd", and said the council "should be ashamed of themselves".
"Politics is all about competing priorities," he said. "It's as much about the art of living as it is about the science of furnishing society with the things they need.
"This is not just about the military. This is about celebrating the end of a war, a war in which we secured freedom and democracy for Europe."
Councillor Millie Earl, Leader of BCP Council, said: "Along with other councils, ours is in a challenging financial situation which is why the Bournemouth Air Festival in 2024 was to be the last council funded air show.
"Over the past year, we have worked hard to engage a future operator and seek sponsorship for future Air Festivals but unfortunately this has so far been unsuccessful.
"We are still open to any interest from potential operators or sponsors.
"In the meantime, we remain invested in the cultural future of our beautiful area and are continuing to work with our partners and support others where we can, to help deliver a vibrant economy for residents and visitors with events such as the Bay Run, Arts By the Sea Festival and Christmas in Bournemouth planned."
A Liberal Democrat source added: "The Conservatives left our councils and their funding in a mess after years of reckless mismanagement.
"All councils have had to make tough decisions with their finances. It is untrue to claim that this decision was taken on anything other than cost grounds."
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