AN ISLE of Wight carnival established since 1889 has been sent a "last minute and unexpected" bill to close the roads along the route.

Ventnor Carnival was sent a £400 bill they weren't expecting and hadn't budgeted for, after the Isle of Wight Council introduced new fees last February.

There weren't any carnivals last year due to Covid, so this is the first time it has been implemented.

Tony McCarthy, of Ventnor Town Council, said it came as a shock to the town's carnival association, who say they first heard of the new charging policy within three weeks of the event on August 10.

He said: "Ventnor Carnival is run entirely by volunteers who spend most of the year fundraising. We are suddenly faced with additional unanticipated and unbudgeted costs which we will need to fundraise for.

"All the on-street parking on our carnival route is free. Therefore, there is no loss of revenue to the Isle of Wight Council."

An Isle of Wight Council spokesperson said: “The amount referred to is for a parking Event Suspension Charge.

"It covers the cost of producing and placing suspension notices and cones as appropriate. It also absorbs a substantial amount of staff time.

"The cost of a parking suspension is £20 per space per day. The council’s parking department wishes to support events, therefore making a nominal charge of £50 per street irrespective of the number of bays.

“In previous years, the council have undertaken the parking suspensions free of charge for Ventnor Carnival based on historic knowledge of the route, rather than a direct request from Ventnor Carnival Association.

"The council reached out to organisers to ensure they were aware of the costs.

"Ventnor Carnival has since made contact and the authority has offered a number of options to either avoid or reduce the charges.

“The Isle of Wight is fortunate to have so many diverse and colourful parades, and we work hard to support as much as possible, but in a time of considerable budget pressures need to cover costs and not impact on providing essential services.”

On Friday, Cllr Phil Jordan offered a solution to Ventnor Town Council which has been accepted.

The charge has been halved from £400 to £200, by putting both the main and illuminated processions on one piece of paperwork.

Additionally, the fee for this year has been deferred to 2023, giving the carnival association more time to fundraise for it.