The annual Penarth Remembrance Day parade will go ahead on Sunday, November 8, after the Vale of Glamorgan Council and local authorities resolved a traffic management issue that had threatened cancellation.
An open letter on October 13 from the Penarth Remembrance Sunday group claimed the parade would not take place because a road closure order could not be secured from the Vale of Glamorgan Council, despite an application having been made in July. The group had planned to gather informally to lay wreaths at the cenotaph in Alexandra Park.
Community concerns raised
Local residents and veterans raised concerns over the cancellation. The veterans group statement read: "They endured hardship, separation, fear and loss. Some came home carrying wounds that cannot be seen. And now, years later, we expect them to battle bureaucracy just to hold a remembrance parade?"
In response, the Vale of Glamorgan has now announced the parade will take place, with Penarth Town Council paying for a specialist company to conduct traffic management. The parade will commence at 10am, with people asked to assemble from 9.45am at the cenotaph.
Parade route confirmed
The parade will gather outside the Garden of Remembrance on Rectory Road before making its way through the town to All Saints Church for the Act of Remembrance. After the church service, the march will continue to Penarth Ex Serviceman's Club.
Cllr Lis Burnett, leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council, said: "I'm delighted that this important event will again take place this year. It brings the community together as veterans, serving personnel, local groups and visitors remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy today."
Council and committee responses
Cllr Rhiannon Birch, leader of Penarth Town Council, said: "The Penarth Remembrance Parade is a deeply important occasion for our town, providing an opportunity for people of all generations to come together in reflection and remembrance."
Greg Olphert, chair of the Penarth Veterans Remembrance Parade Committee, said: "This longstanding parade is a cherished part of Penarth's history. We gather together as a community to remember and honour those who gave all serving this country."
