THE York Labour group has said that the current council needs to ‘get a grip’ on the city’s cultural offers, after the Great Yorkshire Fringe festival announced it would not be returning.

The Press reported last week that the Fringe festival will not be back this year, after the founder slammed the management of the city centre.

Labour Group leader, Cllr Danny Myers said: “Losing the Great Yorkshire Fringe festival is terrible.

“We need a diverse range of cultural events to make sure York is a place everyone can enjoy.

“This brings investment into our city and the council are simply failing. York needs a vibrant city centre but instead we are seeing shops closing, live music venues shutting down and important events that put York on the cultural map, like the Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre and Great Yorkshire Fringe festival, not returning.

“They need to get a grip on this situation before we witness any further cultural losses.”

Charlie Croft, assistant director for communities and culture at City of York Council, said the council had been “incredibly supportive” and done everything it could to “make the festival a success”.