Ramsbottom Chocolate Festival

Concerns have been raised that this year’s Ramsbottom’s Chocolate Festival may not go ahead – on health and safety grounds.

Bury Council has blocked plans for this year’s festival, due to be held over the weekend of April 8-9th, to be held in the town centre due to overcrowding.

The ever-popular festival, on Bridge Street, regularly attracts tens of thousands of visitors.

Ramsbottom Councillor Rob Hodkinson has arranged an urgent high-level meeting with Bury Town Hall officers, event organiser Gregg Fletcher and fellow Councillor, Ian Bevan, in a last-ditch effort to ensure a site can be agreed for this year’s festival.

Cllr Rob Hodkinson added: “After a great deal of hard work and dedication by event organisers, plans to hold the festival on Bridge Street have been stopped in their tracks by the Council on health and safety grounds due to overcrowding last year.”

“Unfortunately, no agreement has been able to be reached for other possible venues for the festival – including Ramsbottom Cricket Club and Ramsbottom Football Club”.

“Ramsbottom has quite rightly become the top “foodie” town in the north west over the last few years. We have a tremendous number of good restaurants, gastro-pubs, tea rooms and independent shops selling a whole range of food.   We are so lucky that we have such a dedicated team of business owners and traders who work hard each year to put on this event.”

“If the event is cancelled it will have a big financial effect on our local economy and we are doing everything we can to ensure that the Chocolate Festival goes ahead this year.”