Clacton Airshow will go ahead for the next four years under a commitment made today (Friday, 25 January).
A Cabinet meeting held at event organisers Tendring District Council (TDC) agreed to run a Clacton Airshow annually up to and including 2027 during a meeting this morning.
Clacton Airshow – which is staging its 31st event this year on 22-23 August – regularly attracts 250,000 visitors over the two days, and is worth an estimated £12.2million to the local economy.
Ivan Henderson, TDC Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Economic Growth, Regeneration and Tourism, said the four-year decision put the event on a more sustainable footing.
“Clacton Airshow is a fantastic event, there is no doubt about that, and gives a huge added value to the district economy,” Cllr Henderson said.
“It also involves a serious commitment of money, time and resources from this council; all things we – like local authorities up and down the country – do not have endless supplies of and need to carefully consider where we use them.
“The economic benefits, and the smiles on people’s faces as they turn their eyes to the skies, make Clacton Airshow a worthwhile investment. By committing to it for four years, instead of annually, means the brilliant team that puts it together can benefit from economies of scale and explore further income options to reduce its cost to the council – safeguarding its future going forward.
“We are confident this will be a welcome decision, not only from the hundreds of thousands of flight fans, but also from local residents who told us in our recent Corporate Plan consultation that the event was something they were proud of. Indeed, this meets Our Vision theme of promoting our offer and attracting visitors to the area.”
The decision does not mean that the Airshow will end in 2027, but will be subject to a further review and commitment.
