Ormskirk Motorfest has been cancelled for 2022

Following a meeting of the Directors of the Club, faced with the continuing complications and unnecessary delays in obtaining further approvals, that are beyond our control, and which could have been avoided by WLBC, places us in an unacceptably exposed position, with no guarantee that the event can obtain outstanding approvals within the remaining timescales.

We have therefore taken the decision to withdraw our support for the event.

The reality is that the unnecessary delays (six months) caused by the West Lancs Council Cabinet, Executive and ESAG, in approving significantly reduced funding and the event safety plan, hasn’t left enough time for road closure consultation re a Temporary Traffic Regulatory Order, which we assumed would be rubber stamped, given the number of times (9) the event has previously been very successfully run.

WLBC could have easily resolved this, as we suggested way back in January, by using their own powers, which we now know they used for the 2019 Motorfest but this wasn’t disclosed until last week!

However, they have resolutely refused to use these powers, that would have enabled the event to proceed as planned.

We realise that a huge number of residents, local businesses, participants and event sponsors and supporters will be terribly disappointed but we consider it is in all our best interests to make this decision now rather than at the last minute.