A PLEA has gone out for people to support Highbridge and Burnham’s Carnival after a row erupted over carts parking near homes.

Some residents say they are planning to block carts from parking up in Burnham after Bridgwater’s Carnival on November 1.

Traditionally they have lined up along Queens Drive and Frank Foley Parkway but carnival organisers have been told by police that this can’t happen any more because it blocks two major routes.

Now the plan is to park half the carts along Frank Foley Parkway and the rest in Love Lane ready for the Burnham event on November 3.

However some residents in the Love Lane area say they are angry about the plans as they fear carts arriving at 9pm on the Friday night will cause severe disruption. Carnival organisers say they want people to understand it’s just for a short time and they are urging people to support the historic community event.

A resident going by the username spanner_man said: “I for one would willing to take part in a blockade of the road until a decent time on Sunday morning to allow at least some residents on the estate to sleep.”

In later posts on a Burnham online forum he added that the peaceful protest had received a lot of support saying: “There is a huge amount of support from very disgruntled residents for this action. It is not against the law for peaceful protest. You only have to look at the Morrison blockade. There will be no obstruction to any emergency services. We do not intend to stop the carnival, just delay the movement through the estate until a reasonable hour of the day.”

Phil New, the Highbridge and Burnham Carnival Committee chairman, said he had heard about the threat of a blockade.

He said: “I’m not too concerned. I have heard about it but I think it sounds like a storm in a teacup. We went to talk to people in Love Lane on Monday night but everyone we spoke to was ok about the plans. The carnival crew will be setting down “No Waiting” cones, these being enforced between 7pm and 2am on Saturday, November 1.

“It will mean 40 or more houses in the residential roads off Love Lane can’t park on the road on Saturday night but they do have driveways. It won’t affect access as there will be residents’ permits.

People are saying there will be noise from 100 foot carts trundling past their homes but it won’t be that bad. A lot of people may not like it but they realise we are doing what we can. After the carnival on November 5 there will be a chance for people to talk to us at a meeting to see how they believe it went.”

Highbridge and Burnham Carnival Committee member Linda Bullimore told the Weekly News: “We have done everything possible to answer questions honestly, openly and meet with these people.

“Last night we blitzed the estate off Love Lane with vehicle passes for the road block. Most of the people who answered their doors were very nice and understanding and thankful for our hard work for the community as a whole.

“It makes doing something wonderful for your community really hard work and it is no wonder that things like this disappear from the calendar when people get to the brim and just give up.

“We still believe in Carnival and we will still put the greatest show on for our community as long as they want it.”