Traffic delays expected at Kenilworth horse fair next week

Traffic near Thickthorn Island at April's horse fair earlier this year

The fair will take place on private land off Thickthorn Island on from Friday July 28 to Sunday July 30. The Sunday is expected to be the busiest day.

Although the July horse fair tends to be less busy than the April event, signs have already gone up near the site entrance warning motorists of the potential delays.

And Pete Cutts, Community Safety Manager at Warwick District Council, advised motorists to avoid the roads to and from Thicktorn Island if they can over the weekend.

He added: “As usual, we’ve got an approved traffic management company in place for the event.

“It’s always something we plan for in advance with the event organisers.

“I’ve got my fingers crossed we don’t’ get any complaints. We can’t stop the event as it’s not licensable.”

He also said the council would debrief after the event with police to see if anything can be improved.

The previous fair in April was busy as expected, but Police Sergeant Christopher Kitson of Kenilworth’s Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) said the lack of arrests during the fair was ‘miraculous’.

Apart from a few minor incidents of anti-social behaviour around the Jet garage on St John’s gyratory, the weekend was relatively calm.

Sgt Kitson also said traffic flow was not as bad as it might otherwise have been because of the experience of the on-site marshals.

The final fair of the year in Kenilworth will be held on the weekend of Friday September 22 to Sunday September 24.