Delight as Kettering by the Sea back on the calendar for 2023

The popular Kettering by the Sea event looks set to return to the calendar in 2023 after a council agreed a proposal to fund it.

Hundreds of families were left disappointed this summer when it was confirmed the town’s Market Place wouldn’t be transformed into a taste of the seaside.

The event, which allows children to play in a giant sandpit and take part in activities, was historically funded by Kettering Borough Council which became defunct last year and was replaced by North Northamptonshire Council (NNC). They said they wouldn’t cover the cost, handing ‘smaller events’ over to town councils, with the decision coming too late for Kettering Town Council’s (KTC) budget to stretch to running an event this year.

But this month KTC proposed to increase their events budget to £112,000 for 2023/24 – subject to consultation – which includes £25,000 for next year’s Kettering by the Sea.

Cllr Craig Skinner (Con, Ise Lodge), who is chairman of the council’s markets and events committee, said: “Like all councillors, I was disappointed that the much-loved Kettering By the Sea event did not take place this year.

"As a result, the town council has agreed to facilitate it next summer as part of our ambitious plan of events for the year, following on from a series of successful events and markets in our first year.

"This is dependent on the proposed budget for 2023/24 being agreed and this will be open for public consultation over the coming weeks.

"The first consultation event is a town meeting which has been arranged for November 16 where we will present our draft budget and seek views. The meeting will be in the Toller Church Rooms in Meeting Lane, starting at 7pm.

“As a council we are ambitious and keen to continue improving the range of events and markets which are on offer and I hope that members of the public will engage with the consultation so we are able to facilitate this.”

And Cllr Clark Mitchell (Lab, Avondale Grange) said: “I am absolutely delighted as it’s such an important event for the residents of this town.

"It was sorely missed this summer.

"I had people saying they didn’t know what to do as it was going to be their holiday because of the cost of living crisis.”

But Cllr Mitchell added that he was concerned that such events are being passed to the town council which can only be met by raising their precept, adding to council tax bills.

A report discussed by councillors said it is possible that NNC could engage in a dialogue with parish councils about functions and assets that they wish to devolve or that they will cease to pay for. It said the space for such a dialogue before budgets are fixed is quite limited and that there could be ‘significant financial and managerial consequences’ from picking up services and assets that NNC stop funding.

Next year’s total proposed Kettering Town Council budget amounts to £400,000, which is likely to generate a precept of about £23.50 for a band D household.

It is a 20 per cent increase, equivalent to an additional 7.6p per week for the average council tax payer.