A WAR of words has broken out between a controversial councillor and the organisers of a community festival over Barnet Council’s handling of the event.

Members of Finchley Festival’s organising committee say they have had to pull the plug on it because the council had tried to “monetise” it by bringing in a bigger funfair.

But Councillor Brian Coleman, who is in charge of parks, hit back describing last year’s event as a “rip off” and claiming the council is trying to save the show, which was known as the Finchley Carnival.

Festival chairman Vicky Churchill said they have cancelled events planned for next month, involving around 2,000 school children from across the borough, because of the council’s demands.

She told the Times Series the council had initially asked for £3,500 in March, instead of the usual £140, but then offered to split fees from a larger-than-planned funfair with them instead.

She said: “We had been planning this since after last year’s show because it was a bit of a disappointment. But Barnet didn’t bother letting us know until March about the increased fee.

“We asked them for a meeting but they kept us waiting until May. We’re not profit making, everything we take goes into providing the festival tents, security and insurance.

“This was supposed to be something for the community, which has gone on for decades, but it seems the council wants to stop us.”

Ms Churchill said last year’s attendance had been hampered because of problems with advertising, adding they stopped using a large Showman’s Guild approved funfair because of damage done to the site and complaints from neighbours.

She added: “It seems to me the council wants to monetise this event. They already have a number of fairs in Victoria Park every year.

“We’ve asked Cllr Coleman to meet us and explain this decision but he’s refused. It seems he has got something against us, but I don’t know what. He lives just down the road. It seems he doesn’t want to listen.”

But Cllr Coleman said the council would still be providing a Showman’s Guild approved funfair from July 6-10.

He said: “I’m not convinced the committee are capable of running this event. I’m desperate to try and keep this event going because it’s dying on its knees at the moment. I’ve attended it for 30 years.

“They have been told that because of the appalling show they had on last year, which was a rip-off to the people of Finchley, they need to up their game.

“They can run a community event that weekend, but the council will bring in a funfair for them to enjoy and split it with the carnival committee to put on events.”

Cllr Coleman said he left last year’s event after an hour because there were “no events worth speaking of” compared similar festivals in other parts of Barnet.

He accused the committee of changing the nature of the event from a carnival to a community festival and ending the fireworks display on Saturday night.

He added: “It’s not the funfair that’s drawn complaints, it’s the rock concert on a Friday night which has angered residents.

“The council subsidises all these events, but we will not if we think they’re a rip off to members of the public.“ He said he hoped a community festival would be run alongside the funfair in coming years.