Remembrance Day parades rescued thanks to Walsall Council cash boost plan

Organisers have said they cannot afford the costs of policing Walsall’s ten events after West Midlands Police withdrew funding in 2016.

Walsall Council funded 30 per cent of the costs required to close roads for the parades in November last year.

But now the ruling Tory group is set to rubber stamp the go-ahead for all of the costs to be covered by the council from this year at a cabinet meeting tomorrow.

The total cost of the ten parades in Aldridge, Walsall Wood, Brownhills, Bloxwich, Darlaston, Streetly, Pelsall, Willenhall, Short Heath and Walsall town centre would be approximately £35,000.

Organisers have in the past highlighted the difficulties they face in securing funding and proposals to fully fund the costs of up to £4,000 per parade.

It comes as the borough prepares to celebrate the centenary of the end of of the First World War.

Councillor Adrian Andrew, deputy leader of Walsall Council said: “It is a pledge of this administration to remove the burden of fundraising for traffic management from our local communities – we feel that local fundraising should be used, where possible, to support veterans and their families.

“This is the very least we can do as a community to remember those people who have given their lives for the freedom that we have today.

“With 2018 being the year that we commemorate the centenary of the Armistice which ended the First World War, all Cabinet members agreed that this change be considered immediately.”

Last year’s Streetly event even had to be cancelled because organisers could not raise funding.