ORGANISERS of the popular folk dance festival in Tavistock fear the event could be in jeopardy because of the cost of hiring the pannier market.

Tavistock Folk Dance Club say there have been difficulties in arranging the booking of the market for next year's festival. They fear it could be because the venue could attract more lucrative events.

The May festival, which has been running for 25 years, and involves hundreds of local schoolchildren was temporarily switched to Tavistock College this year due to renovations in the pannier market.

But the town council says it is hopeful the festival will be back in the pannier market next year.

Juliet Hill, of Tavistock, who works on the annual festival said: 'It would be a great shame if the pannier market could no longer host the festival, either because Tavistock Folk Club could not afford the hire, or because other more lucrative events supplant it.

'In this case, the dance festival would almost certainly die and that would be a great shame.'

Mrs Hill said the pannier market was a great venue for the festival as it was in the middle of town, where many people who would not normally come to the event were drawn in to see the dancing. It also allowed children to have fun holding stalls of their own.

She said she hoped the town council would consider the festival an event worth preserving.

Mrs Hill said the club ran the festival entirely free for all participating schools and clubs. There was a small entrance fee for those wishing to watch the dancing, to cover club expenses.

The club say they often incur a small loss staging the event, but do not want to start charging the children who take part.

Mrs Hill says between 200 and 300 children attend the event each year.

'It is a thoroughly enjoyable, colourful and worthwhile event for all concerned. A real community occasion,' she said.

Town clerk Col Roger Howard said the position on use of the pannier market for community events would become clearer once the council's working party had met on September 10.

However, he said the council was 'keen' to have the folk dance club back in the market next year.

'We think it's a little bit early, the event is nearly a year away. It's been put on hold until the working party meets and hopefully comes up with some ideas,' said Col Howard.

He said he did not think there would be any difficulty with the arrangements, but the situation would not move forward until after councillors, the market reeve and representatives of well-established community groups had held their working party meeting next month.

Market reeve John Brady said the folk dance club had expressed a possible fear about the costs of hire, but it was a matter for the town council to set pannier market charges. He said a number of community groups and charities had been invited to have their say at the next working party meeting.

The working party was set up in July to clarify council policy on community events following the cancellation of the annual Tavistock flower show

The flower show, which had been running for more than 150 years, was cancelled earlier this year after disagreement over dates and charges for hiring the pannier market.