Band contests back by public demand

Brass band enthusiasts in Scouthead and Austerlands will hear their traditional band contest this year following the lifting of controversial traffic-management controls.

Before last year’s event, organisers said the 2012 contest would be the last. A last-minute decision by Greater Manchester Police was set to remove traffic-management at Scouthead from 10.30pm — all other Saddleworth contests continue until midnight.

Following strong opposition, the Scouthead and Austerlands organisers have won confirmation of a midnight deadline. A private traffic management company will oversee operations.

Contests secretary David Needham said: “We hadn’t anticipated the possibility of a domino effect, with the closure of our contest leading to the loss of others. We were totally unprepared for the overwhelmingly sympathetic reaction from the bands themselves.”