The six-week consultation risked creating rushed guidance, lacking thorough engagement with affected stakeholders, as emphasized by leading charities advocating for an extension.
"It is what it is. Life happens. There is nothing I can do about it," he said in a video posted on Instagram. "It's just sad. I am trying to do a good thing and I have had that taken from me."
The Lord Mayor's Hot Air Balloon Regatta, intended as an annual event, has been canceled since 2020 due to COVID-19 and bad weather, with hopes for 2025.