NORTH Ayrshire Council’s Licensing Committee has refused to grant a licence for a funfair and fireworks display at Irvine Moor.

The application from Thomson Event and Co to host the event on Friday was rejected at a specially-arranged meeting today.

Councillors had fears over public order and public safety and felt that not enough preparation – in terms of things like traffic management plans, fire safety plans – had been provided by the applicants

The decision was accepted by the applicants and they are now looking to meet with the Council and various partners to try and make sure that the event can go ahead next year.

The annual event in Kilmarnock attracted around 30,000 visitors and an event in Irvine could be expected to attract similar numbers.

David Thomson, owner of Thomson Event and Co, said: “We understand the decision and have spoken to representatives from the Council and Police Scotland . They have been very helpful with their advice.

“We hope to meet much earlier next year to assess the best available options for an event of this scale in Irvine.”

Councillor Ronnie McNicoll, Convenor of the Licensing Committee, added: “We felt this was the right decision to make. There were just too many variables.

“We hope this can be avoided and early preparation will ensure that they can host an event next year.