Thank you for the music: Safety advice leads to cancellation of annual Musical Mystery Tour

Hertford’s Musical Mystery Tour –an annual live music event that has had the town rocking since 2006 – has taken place for the last time after organisers said safety advice they had received and the threat of them being held personally liable for any problems left them unable to continue.

Last year’s event, which was the first to have been held since the Covid lockdowns, saw thousands of people out and about in the town enjoying free musical performances from 180 artists across 35 venues from midday until the evening on the late August bank holiday Sunday.

MMT’s success over the years had led it to become one of Hertford’s most popular annual events.

But a debrief after the 2022 incarnation with Hertfordshire’s Safety Advisory Group, which is made up of representatives from East Herts Council and Hertfordshire Police, led to the MMT organisers saying they had no option but to end the festival because they would be unable to comply with safety advice given by the group.

A statement issued by the organisers, led by the man who began it all, Kev Saunders, said: “We’re sorry – but the MMT is over. This is a very sad moment for us.

“Our baby’s grown too big. MMT started with one person. There are still only five of us, with fulltime jobs, working hard to make Hertford happy. But that’s about 100 too few to achieve what’s now being asked of us by the powers that be.

“The Safety Advisory Group has given us a long and onerous to-do list. Compliance isn’t exactly mandatory. But for us it is impossible. Which means we’ll be held personally responsible and liable for anything and everything. In short, we just can’t do this anymore.”

East Herts Council and Hertfordshire Police issued a joint statement in response, explaining that the Safety Advisory Group’s ‘over-riding aim is to help event organisers take the necessary steps to ensure the public’s wellbeing,’ adding that it is then up to the event organisers to take on board the advice given. The statement continued: “The SAG is an advisory group. The group does not have the powers to object to or cancel an event and it is up to the organisers to decide whether or not to hold an event in 2023.”

The news was met with an outpouring of disappointment on social media, MMT having proved hugely popular with venues, artists and music fans alike.

But there remains hope of some sort of musical event in Hertford on that August Sunday, with the MMT organisers’ statement teasing: “Don’t worry. We’re sure Hertford will still be rocking regardless on future August bank holiday Sundays…”

Axis understands individual venues are discussing organising their own live music events on the date.

Public urged to report potholes as weather takes its toll

Residents are being encouraged to report potholes on the road network so that they can be added to Hertfordshire County Council’s repair and maintenance programme.

The council maintains 3,200 miles of roads across the county and says in an average year it will fix more than 21,000 potholes.

But it says there has been a big increase in the number appearing recently as a result of snow and ice followed by cold and wet weather. The key reason potholes form is repeated fluctuations in road surface temperature to below and above freezing.

The council’s highways team aim to make the most significant potholes safe within 24 hours, but the majority of potholes that are big enough to need rapid attention receive a permanent repair either within five days or 20 days, depending on factors like the size of the pothole and how busy the road is. Smaller, less urgent, potholes are repaired as part of planned road resurfacing.

You can report a pothole at hertfordshire.gov.uk/highwayfaults.

Public meeting called to discuss plans for Old River Lane site

A public meeting to discuss redevelopment plans for The Causeway car park and surrounding land and buildings in Bishop’s Stortford will take place on Sunday 19th February.

Organised by the cross-party Old River Lane Working Group, a coalition of Liberal Democrat, Labour and Green Party members, it will be held at 2.45pm at Bishop’s Stortford High School in London Road.

Working with developer Cityheart, East Herts Council wants to see the site redeveloped to create a cultural quarter for the town. The plans were originally based around a new arts centre building which was to be home to a new theatre. But rising costs forced a rethink and instead the proposed arts building is now planned to house a multi-screen cinema.

Cityheart has now submitted two planning applications relating to the site – one proposing the demolition of the United Reformed Church Hall and council offices Charringtons House to make way for its scheme.

The second seeks outline planning permission for the main development including the arts centre along with up to 225 new homes, shops and offices.

Charringtons House closure

Meanwhile, ahead of its planned handover to Cityheart in the autumn, East Herts Council is aiming to have vacated its Charringtons House offices as early as the end of March.

According to papers discussed at the council’s audit and governance committee meeting in January, this is because if it is not closed the council could potentially incur costs in pipework repairs and lift replacement, costs it would not expect to be able to recoup.