We, the undersigned, request that Lancashire County Council reconsiders its unreasonable requirement for The Britannia Coco-Nut Dancers to employ a Traffic Management Company for their annual Easter display in the streets of Rossendale. This activity has been carried on unchanged since time immemorial, and is a significant part of our community life and identity. The Bacup Coco-Nut Dancers are a small organisation that do not have the financial or human resources to comply with this requirement, which is a symptom of a risk-averse local authority and is out of proportion to the actual risks and the cultural significance of the event.

LCC does not have a duty of care or a special relationship with this event that makes it liable in case of accident or injury. The Court of Appeal,(Glaister v Appleby-in-Westmorland Town Council)has pointed out that there would be an "impoverishment of our community life" if bodies or individuals who organise annual events of this kind were to be deterred by the imposition of regulations by Local Authorities, which do not have any special duty of care.

The effect of this order will be to destroy a centuries old aspect of our community life and culture, and the job of LCC should be to encourage and protect, not to hinder and destroy.