Works have had to be carried out at short notice at the site of Hull Fair after heavy rain damage and breaking ageing tarmac and stone.

Hull City Council has paid around £57,470 for the repairs after an inspection in August found health and safety risks including tripping hazards and potholes. A council decision record stated that if heavy rainfall had continued it would have affected the safety of using the car park for Hull Fair this year.

A council spokesperson said repairs which are usually carried out in the run up to Hull Fair were more extensive this year because of the heavy rain. The repairs were carried out in the weeks leading up to the opening of Hull Fair this Friday, October 6, at 5pm. The annual fair is set to last until Saturday, October 14, though it will close for a day on Sunday, October 6.

Only one contractor, Wright Civil Engineering, was able to do the works in time for the start of the fair according to the council’s decision record. Works included safety patching to scrap out loose material and fill and compact tarmac. The fairground peg was reset and the damaged surface cover was replaced.

Hull Fair, a fair which takes place annually in Hull and is taking place in Walton Street in October this year.

Patch repairs to tarmac roadways were also undertaken and surfaces were reinstated, along with laying a replacement stone surface across an area of 911sqm. The decision record stated the works had to be done urgently so the site would be ready in time for Hull Fair.

It stated: “Following a site inspection there have been a number of health and safety and condition observations regarding the use of existing tarmac and stoned up areas on the Walton Street car park. A heavy period of rainfall during July this year has adversely affected the car park condition and is creating a health and safety risk for anyone using the car park for the football stadium and market traders.

“In addition, it is considered that if the weather pattern continues it will further affect the safe use of the car park for the 2023 Hull Fair. To exacerbate the flooding problems there are a number of areas existing dry tarmac which due to age have begun to delaminate and break up which is causing poor ground conditions underfoot, additional tripping hazards and potholes.”

The council’s spokesperson said: “Repairs to the car park at Walton Street are normally undertaken annually as part of preparations for Hull Fair. Heavy rainfall during July of this year adversely affected the condition of the car park, meaning required repairs were more extensive than usual.

“The works were completed in the weeks before the showmen began arriving. We are looking forward to welcoming thousands of visitors to this year’s Fair, which begins this Friday.”

Hull Fair: Heavy rain and ageing tarmac cause tripping hazards at site of Hull Fair