Cost cutting council puts Christian festival at threat

The council has imposed significant fees for closing roads, and organisers have raised the alarm that this year's festival could be the last.

Claire Davies, 43, who has lives in the town her entire life and helps to run the event, told The Telegraph: "It is getting harder and harder to keep it going. It is such a special tradition, but the authorities seem to be trying to make it difficult.

"Costs are continually going up and we don’t know whether we’ll be able to carry on."

The festival, born out of the temperance movement in the Victorian era, had its first official celebration in 1856.

Sanctioned by the Buckley Temperance Society, festivities kick off with a non-denominational religious service in the town common, led by a minister from one of the town's churches.

The centrepiece of the festival is a procession from the common involving thousands of locals, stretching up to three miles.

Sunday schools have also historically been involved in the parade, travelling the route on colourful floats.

But in recent years, the floats have been discontinued as a result of increased public liability insurance costs, and Sunday school children now walk.

Ms Davies said: "Last year, the council, that had previously put the road closures in place for us for nothing, decided that it was going to charge us £1,000 going forward."

She added that organisers were only told of the change in February,

"Also, Buckley town council, which normally covers the cost of the bunting, complained that the costs were going up and said they couldn’t guarantee that they would carry on," she said.

Last year, local churches launched an emergency fundraising mission to guarantee the Jubilee would go forward, after organisers learned contractors were charging £2,000 to hang the decorations.

The 2025 fundraising efforts included a crowdfunding page, a series of coffee mornings, and a £3,000 contribution from an anonymous donor.

After a similar push for funds this year, the festival will be able to go forward, but organisers remain fearful amid talks North Wales Police could charge event organisers in the future.

Katie Wilby, chief officer for streetscene and transportation, at Flintshire county council, said: "In 2024 Flintshire county council introduced an events policy which included full cost recovery for public events on or impacting the highway.

"We carry out a number of operational responsibilities to assist event organisers, which includes the provision of traffic management and the manning of road closures.

"The council does not have designated traffic management teams and, therefore, when providing this support other essential operations are suspended so that resource can be redeployed.

"In the current financial climate, these costs are unsustainable, and full cost recovery ensures we continue to provide the essential services we must deliver."

A police spokesman said: "North Wales Police continues to work with local communities when events take place, to consider the size of the event, public safety considerations and in what capacity a policing presence may be required, in conjunction with our colleagues in local authorities.

"If resources are specifically requested by an event organiser, consideration will be given to cost, balancing normal operational demands, the number of events taking place across a policing area, but recognising the importance of our local neighbourhood policing teams supporting events which are an integral part of local communities."