Councillors are set to decide whether to axe funding for an event linked to the Sheriff’s Ride.
Lichfield City Council will meet next week to make a decision on the banquet which was introduced when the overall ride was scaled down.
But a report to the meeting says the controlling Labour group is intending to cease covering the costs.
“Variations to the civic calendar are relatively common based on the particular wishes of incumbent civics and are not usually a matter that council would wish to consider in detail.
“However, the Sheriff’s Banquet was introduced via recommendation of the City Council’s Sheriff’s Ride Working Party as part of the alternative to a ‘full’ Sheriff’s Ride that this council has, via resolution, ceased to fund.
“The Sheriff’s Ride Committee, now officially part of the Shrievalty Association, is an external group who arranged a reduced ride for 2023 that was followed by the Lichfield City Council organised banquet.
“For 2024, the committee hope to arrange a ‘full’ ride and had asked the city council if the banquet could therefore be rescheduled to the Sunday. The view of the controlling group is that the banquet was introduced as an alternative provision to the full ride, and that if the full ride is returned, then that ‘alternative’ provision becomes ‘additional’ provision and should therefore be withdrawn, allowing capacity to be generated for other events.
“This view has been met with disappointment by representatives of the external Sheriff’s Ride Committee.”
Lichfield City Council report
The 2023 Sheriff’s Banquet cost £3,450 with £2,870 generated through income, leaving a cost of around £580.
The report added:
“Discussions regarding the detail of the 2024 ride and Lichfield City Council’s involvement with it remain ongoing, but to generate surety for all, the council is asked to resolve whether or not it wishes a Sheriff’s Banquet to take place in 2024 and future years – notably whether this event should or should not change from being an alternative to the ride to being an addition to it.”
Lichfield City Council report
The funding of the Sheriff’s Banquet will be discussed at a meeting of the city council tomorrow (22nd January).
