Safety ruling brings axe down on Wombourne Summer Steam Festival

An annual summer festival that attracts more than 2,000 people to an historic South Staffordshire pumping station has been cancelled because of health and safety red tape.

The Wombourne Summer Steam Festival, which has been held at the Bratch Pumping Station site for more than 10 years, has been pulled after plant owners Severn Trent refused permission for the event without extensive new safety plans.

Organisers say the firm told them so many people at the working water plant could lead to contamination as well as putting visitors at risk.

Bryan Hyett, chairman of the Friends of the Bratch group, said: "We've run this festival for more than a decade, and this has never once been raised as an issue - in fact we had a Severn Trent health and safety inspector come down last year, and he gave us a glowing report.

"Right now, we're all just feeling very despondent. We are still working with the company and hope a compromise can be reached for future events but there is no way the summer event can happen."

He said solicitors would be needed to draw up the new safety plans, potentially costing the volunteers hundreds of pounds of their own money.

The festival sees attractions such as steam engines, vintage cars, lorries, motorcycles and a fun fair bring more than 2,000 visitors to Wombourne over one weekend each June.

Money raised goes towards protecting and maintaining the on-site Grade 2* listed pumping machine which was installed in 1895.

It is one of 50 such machines in working order in the country.

Barry Bond, chairman of Wombourne Parish Council, said: "This is such a shame."

Severn Trent today said an "event management plan" is now needed for all events held on its sites.

Its spokeswoman Gill Dickinson said: "Until we receive and approve a completed plan for an event, we are unable to give approval for it to go ahead."