AN RAF Falcons parachute display team is set to headline Carnival Day in Penarth’s Summer Festival this year.

Weather permitting, the team will free-fall from 12,000 feet, reaching speeds of up to 120mph, before displaying and landing on the cliff top pitch and putt area.

During a Penarth Town Council leisure and amenities committee meeting last Thursday, May 22, it was confirmed that his year’s summer festival will take place over 11 days from July 10 until July 20, with Carnival Day taking place on Saturday, July 19.

A Town Clerk report outlining the summer festival said: “Penarth police have indicated that they will support the parade on Carnival Day with a rolling road closure and they will provide a presence on the Esplanade throughout the day.

“The template for the summer festival has proved very successful and this year’s programme echoes festivals of more recent years.

“On Carnival Day there will be a parade, radio roadshow, Downhill Derby, stalls, aircraft displays, RNLI- RAF Sea King display, children’s rides, punch and judy, go-karts and donley rides at the Cliff Tops as well as many other activities.”

Keri Hutchings, deputy town clerk, added that it had been hoped to move the Downhill Derby to Beach Road as it was becoming “a little bit flat” on Cliff Road, but that he had found it difficult getting permission from police and the Highways Department about closing the road.

“We are going back to Cliff Hill and will try a race instead,” he said.

“Everything else has been going really well and its proving really popular.”

He added that over the years street trading licences had been around £80, but for this year’s summer festival they would be only £12.

Councillor Rhiannon Birch jokingly said there would be “day-glo all over Penarth”, before saying it would encourage an eclectic range of stalls and people selling craft goods.

Councillors also discussed how they would celebrate the 50th anniversary of the summer festival in 2015. Keri Hutchings said that plans were in place to team up with Penarth Yacht Club as they were involved in the original sailing regatta that morphed into the summer festival.

Councillor Clive Williams added that when the first summer festival was launched Penarth Town Council had distributed letters with the town crest on, and that he had sent himself a letter so he could keep it as a souvenir. It was agreed by the committee that he would bring it in so that it could be used as part of the celebration of next year’s anniversary.