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John McDonnell MP hopes to meet council officials next week

A LOCAL MP is seeking a meeting with the council to safeguard the future of an important community event.

John McDonnell MP (Labour, Hayes and Harlington) called a public meeting this afternoon to discuss the future of Hayes Carnival, which Hillingdon Council wants to merge with the Big Fest event in Uxbridge in October.

Mr McDonnell said: "The council has told us there will be a carnival this year, but I am arranging a meeting to try and make sure it is safe for future years.

"We will also discuss ways the community can help the council prepare for the procession, as nothing has yet been done."

However, residents are still fearful that the long-term future of the carnival has not been preserved, and say they feel betrayed by the council.

Helen Lowder, the secretary of the Barra Hall community development committee, said: "The meeting was really positive.

"As a community we are going to work hard to preserve our carnival as this is our heritage and we will fight to keep it.

"There is a real sense of betrayal in Hayes by the council, and we feel we are losing too many of our community amenities and buildings. Now we are saying enough is enough."

The 42-year-old, who has lived in Hayes her whole life and has attended the carnival since she was a child, fears the loss of the event, scheduled for Saturday, July 12, would destroy morale in the community.

She said: "If the council does go ahead and get rid of the carnival it will completely demoralise the community here in Hayes, and it is seen as the latest attack on Hayes by this council.

"If we are going to have a carnival this year we desperately need to find some trucks to use as floats for the community groups who use trhe day as a huge fundraising event."

Anyone interested in donating a flatbed lorry to be used in the carnival parade should contact Helen Lowder on 0208 568 0010.

4:48pm Saturday 10th May 2008

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