BUDE-STRATTON Town Council has shown its support to keep the Brass on the Grass event going by offering bands a fee to come and play.

The topic was discussed at the town council’s recreation committee meeting last Thursday evening in the Parkhouse Centre, where vice chairman Cllr Alan Biggs outlined the situation.

He said that Andrew Pitt, a local brass band representative, has been organising these events during the summer for years and they’ve gone very well, but it’s becoming increasingly harder to get brass bands to come and perform without a fee when they are being offered other jobs that will pay.

Cllr Biggs added: “To ensure Brass on the Grass in Bude keeps going, we can look to hold the event as a council event that we pay for, but with Mr Pitt continuing to organise it.

“The working average in terms of a fee would be £50 per event, and the band playing can also put collection buckets out to raise any additional funds.”

Cllr Peter Moores said: “I think the bands have been doing it for free for years, putting money in the car parks and everything else, so it’s about time they were paid really.”

Cllr Paul Tilzey proposed that Bude-Stratton Town Council pay £50 for bands to use the Band Stand and Bude Light area for up to a maximum of ten events per year subject to payment method being agreed.

All councillors on the committee voted in favour.

Non-committee member, Cllr Peter La Broy voiced his concern that it wasn’t fair on other styles of music to just offer this support to brass bands. He asked why other genres of music couldn’t also be included in these events and be eligible for the £50 fee.

Cllr Biggs replied by reiterating the title of the event being ‘Brass on the Grass’ and therefore the agenda item was specifically referring to the brass band event that has been running already for years.

However, he added that there was nothing stopping someone organising another music event and coming to the council in the future for support.