Carnival organisers have been told the show can go on – as long as they submit plans seven months in advance.

The outdoor street festival, which was cancelled in its 15th year, was debated at full council on Tuesday night after a petition calling on it to be reinstated gathered more than 700 signatures.

Councillors voted through a Conservative motion calling on organisers of the carnival to submit an event programme to the Security Advisory Group by the end of February 2015 to be able to bring carnival back next year.

The motion also called on the policy and finance committee to monitor the approval process.

But Kingston Carnival organiser John Azah, from Kingston Race and Equalities Council (KREC), said: “It is totally impossible to book somebody [an act] in February for September.

“We can give a timeline of what we intend to do, but it would be totally impossible to expect us to announce an act. If we did that and something went wrong we would incur extra costs.”

He added he had been pleased with the overall outcome of the debate and said a programme was already part of the organisational process.

Kingston Carnival was cancelled weeks before it was due to take place after police and council officers expressed safety concerns following the announcement of a headline act.

Banquet Records co-owner Jon Tolley, who had booked headline act Neville Staple to play the carnival, presented the petition at the Guildhall meeting.

He questioned whether the event had been cancelled because of the new Conservative administration and asked where figures for the number of revellers expected to turn up had come from.

He said: “What I want to know is how that number of 5,000 was reached when we thought it was 1,200 – similar to the year before. If somebody does know how to multiply figures by four – I have got a job for you whenever you want it.”

Liberal Democrat Councillor Malcolm Self said: “If the Liberal Democrats had run the council then I am absolutely sure that it would have taken place.”

But Kingston Council leader Kevin Davis said: “This administration is not against the carnival. We will do all that we can to make sure Kingston Carnival goes ahead in 2015.”

Speaking after the meeting Mr Tolley said: “Great to see all sides want carnival. But the worry is it’s an empty promise. Like we all want world peace.”

A number of carnival supporters ditched the Best Bar None Awards held in Pryzm in favour of the council meeting.

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