No cash? No Santa Dash: Annual race to leave Liverpool after council row

The much-loved Santa Dash race is set to end its stay in Liverpool due to a row over a £17,000 bill. 

The 5km fund-raiser attracts thousands of participants each year, students included, with Beth Tweddle getting last year’s underway.

Students at last year’s dash

However BTR Liverpool, organisers of the event, have said they have no choice but to leave Liverpool having been ordered to cough up an extra £11,000 to the Liverpool City Council – on top of the £6,000 they have already paid.

The announcement was made on Facebook yesterday

The race will go ahead as planned in Liverpool for the next three years, however the many Santas of the city will most likely have to get up earlier and travel further if they wish to take part in events after 2016.

Standard Santa kit

The council say the extra £11,000 is to make up for “lost car-parking revenue”, a claim that has angered event organiser Alan Rothwell.

He said: “I’m dismayed that the local authority can have so little regard for the event by imposing such huge charges, which are way beyond what is potentially lost on the day.

I have been advised that unless the £11,000 loss-of-parking charge is paid before the event then the traffic order for the road closures will not be authorised – this is despite the fact that the £6,000 charge for road closures has already been paid.”

https://thetab.com/uk/liverpool/2013/12/02/santas-on-the-streets/

The LCC claims it “always happy to support events like the Santa Dash”, however with this news coming after the cancelling of the city marathon last year over council concerns, this claim will undoubtedly be called into question.