THIS Saturday, November 5, sees the annual thrilling parade of Bridgwater Carnival, for which many townspeople have been working on since this time last year.

Hundreds of hours have been put in by the clubs and committee members but have Sedfgemoor District Council says it also takes them some time to help set up the event and also clean up afterwards.

And the clean up, according to the council, costs £5,000.

A spokesperson for the Sedgemoor District Council said: "The largest contribution from the Council is the mammoth clear up that happens overnight, so that the town is restored to a pristine condition by 7am on the morning following the parade.

"Starting about 0230 hrs, when the last revellers are going home, a dedicated team of about twenty staff sweep and collect what has been left by the 150,000 spectators.

"The estimated cost for this is about £5,000 in Bridgwater that covers staff time, vehicles, bags and the cost of disposing of all those glasses, cans and food wrappers.

"It usually takes about seven and a half hours to clean the two and half-mile route in Bridgwater and a little longer if it is very windy as the rubbish blows about!"

For the Burnham-on-Sea Carnival, the council clean up team starts around 0400 hrs and takes about five hours.

Bridgwater Mercury:

What else does Sedgemoor District Council do during Carnival?

  • Applies to the highways authority (Somerset County Council) to apply for traffic orders to temporarily close the streets. These have to be applied for eight weeks before the event to make sure that everyone has time to be consulted.
  • Foregoes the parking charges and allows the Bridgwater Carnival Society to ask for voluntary donations from car drivers to park in District-owned car parks on the evening of carnival.
  • Environmental Health officers inspect the dozens of mobile catering units, such as burger vans and coffee stalls during the event. This is to make sure that the food and drink on sale meet good hygiene standards and won’t make you ill.
  • Arranges for installation and pays for the hire of temporary public loos.
  • Gives a grant of £5,000 to Bridgwater Carnival Committee.

Sedgemoor’s CCTV section also works closely with the Police over the carnival period to ensure safety and reduce crime and disorder issues during the carnival.

A spokesperson said: "The CCTV control room acts like a second control centre for the police and images are forwarded to the police control room at Taunton.

"As well as the general police talk group radio system, we also have an event radio so we are aware of incidents that are ongoing and can talk direct to the Police control centre.

"And finally, when you are making your way home, spare a thought for the staff who are just starting work on the clean up so please help them by taking your litter home."