Council drama leads team to cancel event

Allyson O’Connor and Dave Weston have been running the BeachBuggin’ VW car show for 17 years on Southsea Common.

However, the pair have come to blows with Portsmouth City Council after the body announced it might revoke its date.

Allyson said: ‘We always run the show on the same day, the first Sunday in August. It raises money for charity and showcases beautiful vehicles to the public for free.’

Allyson confirmed the date for 2018, but was then told by PCC that she couldn’t have it.

Allyson said: ‘They told me they were waiting for a ‘major event’ to confirm. I always fill out the comprehensive application pack, making sure we meet the criteria. We correct anything the council are concerned about.

‘We were then told we couldn’t provide to any charity not in the PO1-P06 postcode, despite one of our beneficiaries being on Hayling Island.

Allyson and Dave met with the council and its new events manager to discuss the issue.

Allyson said: ‘In all of our 17 years working with the council, we’ve never experienced such a level of unprofessionalism.

‘We were treated like children, spoken down to and deflated.’

When Leader of Portsmouth City Council, Donna Jones, caught wind of the meetings, she immediately reached out to the organisers on social media and urged them to meet with her.

Allyson said: ‘Councillor Donna said it is a great event and she wants to meet with us so that we can try and make it happen.

‘We’ve put a message online to say we’re cancelling the show but we will be meeting with Donna Jones soon and I’m really hoping that she can help us sort this out.’