Thousands enjoy Garstang Show as customers complain of traffic chaos

Monday, 8 August 2022 10:19

A record number of visitors enjoyed this year’s Garstang Show, but many people complained about major traffic issues around the site.

The show has been running since 1813 and is a major annual event for the rural communities of North Lancashire, with thousands enjoying a packed programme of activities. The event aims to bring the local community together to learn about, enjoy and celebrate the role farming, food and the countryside plays in all our lives.

But, while the crowds flocked to the show field to enjoy a host of attractions including agriculture and horticulture displays, a motorcycle stunt show, a circus, a Fun Dog Show among many more, scores of customers took to social media to complain about the significant problems getting onto the site, with some reporting delays of more than two hours to get parked.

A spokesperson for the event said: ‘’We're proud of the event we put on and as always, we couldn't have done it without the dedication and support of our committee and volunteers.

‘’That being said, there's always room for improvement and next year we'll be looking to make the show even better than this year. We're aware there were traffic problems approaching the Show Field this year, and that will be our top priority when planning for next year, but we do need your help to do so.

‘’The event took us very much by surprise and we saw record numbers of visitors attending the show, far higher than we could have hoped for or have seen in the past.

‘’While it’s fantastic to have such incredible support we are also aware that there were significant delays to traffic on the roads surrounding the show field.

‘’Show day always brings queues and delays to the local area and thankfully it’s something everyone has been very patient and understanding about in the past. Unfortunately this year there were also temporary traffic lights and roadworks in the area.

‘’As the show goes from strength to strength we do try our best to minimise disruption and keep the day enjoyable for all. As we always do, we had a huge team of volunteers parking cars, guiding traffic on site and stewarding the event as a whole. But we are limited in what we can do to impact the flow of traffic on public roads.

‘’We’d like to apologise for any disappointment this situation caused and of course assure you that the directors and committee will be looking into ways we can improve access to the Show in the future.’’

You can let organisers know what you thought of the event here