Agenda and minutes

Venue: Civic Centre, High Road, Wood Green, N22 8LE

Contact: Philip Slawther 

Media

Items
No. Item

74.

FILMING AT MEETINGS

Please note that this meeting may be filmed or recorded by the Council for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site or by anyone attending the meeting using any communication method. Although we ask members of the public recording, filming or reporting on the meeting not to include the public seating areas, members of the public attending the meeting should be aware that we cannot guarantee that they will not be filmed or recorded by others attending the meeting. Members of the public participating in the meeting (e.g. making deputations, asking questions, making oral protests) should be aware that they are likely to be filmed, recorded or reported on. 

 

By entering the meeting room and using the public seating area, you are consenting to being filmed and to the possible use of those images and sound recordings.

 

The chair of the meeting has the discretion to terminate or suspend filming or recording, if in his or her opinion continuation of the filming, recording or reporting would disrupt or prejudice the proceedings, infringe the rights of any individual or may lead to the breach of a legal obligation by the Council.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Leader referred those present to agenda Item 1 as shown on the agenda in respect of filming at this meeting and asked that those present reviewed and noted the information contained therein.

 

75.

Apologies

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Apologies for Absence were noted from Cllr Ahmet. Cllr Claire Kober, Leader of the Council Chaired the meeting in Cllr Ahmet’s absence.

76.

URGENT BUSINESS

The Cabinet Member will advise of any items they have decided to take as urgent business.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

None.

77.

Declarations of interest

A member with a disclosable pecuniary interest or a prejudicial interest in a matter who attends a meeting of the authority at which the matter is considered:

 

(i) must disclose the interest at the start of the meeting or when the interest becomes apparent, and

(ii) may not participate in any discussion or vote on the matter and must withdraw from the meeting room.

 

A member who discloses at a meeting a disclosable pecuniary interest which is not registered in the Register of Members’ Interests or the subject of a pending notification must notify the Monitoring Officer of the interest within 28 days of the disclosure.

 

Disclosable pecuniary interests, personal interests and prejudicial interests are defined at Paragraphs 5-7 and Appendix A of the Members’ Code of Conduct

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

78.

Application by Festival Republic Ltd to hire Finsbury Park for the Wireless Festival and Concert 2017 pdf icon PDF 283 KB

The report will seek Cabinet Member consideration of two applications made by Festival Republic Ltd to hire Finsbury Park over 3 days in July 2017 in order to stage the Wireless 2017 music festival, and to hold a one day concert on 1st July 2017.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Leader noted the report which sought consideration of two applications made by Festival Republic Ltd to hire Finsbury Park. One application was for a three day period in July 2017 in order stage the Wireless 2017 music festival and the other application was for a one day concert on 1st July 2017.

 

Councillor Carter introduced two members of the Friends of Finsbury Park group; Eldridge Culverwell and Barbara Baughan. Councillor Carter advised that he and other members of the Friends of Finsbury Park group objected in principle to Wireless festival being held, and also referred to the fact that there was an ongoing court case in relation to the matter.

 

Councillor Carter outlined concerns with the noise monitoring process and questioned the location of the noise monitoring points. It was suggested that the measurements taken by the noise monitoring points did not reflect the noise levels experienced by local residents. In response to these concerns, officers outlined that there were 8 monitoring points around Finsbury Park, which were agreed as part of the event licence.  The locations of the monitoring points were well established and had been in place for a number of years. Officers also advised that a review of the location of the monitoring points was undertaken last year and it concluded that the monitoring points were in the correct place and that they were able to collect the noise readings that were required.

 

The Interim Head of Direct Services advised that noise levels were monitored during the event by Vanguardia Consulting and that the Council’s licensing team and duty Noise Enforcement Officer were also present during major events to ensure that the terms of the licence were being adhered to. The taking of noise levels was carried out in line with standard industry practice, with readings taken over a 15 minute period. It was noted that changes to the way noise monitoring was undertaken at last years’ event allowed individual frequencies to be adjusted, for example to reduce bass levels emanating from low frequencies. This had resulted in a 50% reduction to the number of noise complaints received last year from the year before.  

 

Councillor Carter observed that the event promoter was already selling tickets to this year’s Wireless event. In response the Chair drew attention to paragraph 8.2.7 of the report which set out the safeguards in place given the outstanding issue in relation to the date of the appeal hearing.

 

 

RESOLVED

 

  1. That the Leader consider, and take account of, the comments received from recognised stakeholders of Finsbury Park in response to the event notifications being sent as part of the decision making process (as per Appendix 1 of the report).

 

  1. To authorise the Assistant Director – Commercial and Operations, to approve conditional in principle agreement to hire Finsbury Park to the event promoters for the events detailed in this report as set out in paragraph 6.4 of the report.

 

  1. To agree that the conditions which are to be attached to any final approval  ...  view the full minutes text for item 78.

79.

Multiple applications to hire Finsbury Park for the major events in 2017 pdf icon PDF 233 KB

The report will seek Cabinet Member consideration of three applications made by two event promoters to hire Finsbury Park to stage major events in 2017.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Leader noted the report which sought consideration of three applications made by two event promoters to hire Finsbury Park to stage major events in 2017. Officers advised that the events proposed in the report covered a much smaller area than Wireless; covering around 12% of the area of the park.

 

Councillor Carter advised that he and other members of the Friends of Finsbury Park group objected in principle to an increase in the number of events being held.

The Chair suggested that if the Friends of Finsbury Park Group wished to discuss wider issues around major events in Finsbury Park, not directly related to the applications under consideration, then they might wish to meet with the Cabinet Member separately. Officers advised that a series of meetings with stakeholder groups were being set up and that the next meeting would likely be in March.

RESOLVED

 

      I.        That the Leader consider, and take account of, the comments received from recognised stakeholders of Finsbury Park in response to the event notifications being sent as part of the decision making process (as per Appendix 1 of the report).

 

    II.        To authorise the Assistant Director – Commercial and Operations, to approve conditional in principle agreement to hire Finsbury Park to the event promoters for the events detailed in this report as set out in paragraph 6.4 of the report.

 

   III.        Agree that the conditions which are to be attached to any final approval of authority are as set out in the comments of the Assistant Director, Corporate Governance at paragraph 8.2.8 of the report.

 

Reasons for decision

 

Under the terms of the Outdoor Events Policy, applications of the type detailed in this report are required to be determined with the prior agreement of the Cabinet Member. 

 

If authority is given, then officers will give in principle agreement to the applicant for the event applications to progress.  The events will then be subject to lengthy discussions with relevant authorities, including licensing before final agreement is given.

 

The rejection of the applications would have implications for the Parks Service budget, and reduce the opportunity for reinvestment into Finsbury Park (the Park) and other parks. It would also mean that the wider cultural and economic benefits to the borough were lost.

 

Alternative options considered

 

In adopting the Policy, the Council established its commitment to using the Park for a limited number of major events each year.  Accordingly, the only other alternative option which could be considered would be to reject the application.  That option was rejected, on the grounds that the events did not fall within any of the grounds set out in paragraph 5.3 of the Outdoor Events Policy for automatic refusal.

 

 

80.

New Items of Urgent Business

To consider any items of urgent business admitted under Item 2 above.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

None

81.

Exclusion of the Press and Public

That the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting as the items below contain exempt information, as defined under Paragraph 3, Part 1, Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED

 

That the press and public be excluded from the reminder of the meeting as the items contained exempt information, as defined under Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

 

82.

Application by Festival Republic Ltd to hire Finsbury Park for the Wireless Festival and Concert 2017

As per Item 4.

Minutes:

The Leader noted the exempt section of the report.

 

83.

Multiple applications to hire Finsbury Park for the major events in 2017

As per Item 5.

Minutes:

The Leader noted the exempt section of the report.

 

84.

New Items of Exempt Urgent Business

As per Item 6.

Minutes:

N/A