Agenda item

(Report of the Director of Place and Sustainability. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Communities). The report seeks approval of a new operational policy for the management of Outdoor Events in the Borough.

Prior to consideration of the report a deputation was received from Mr Konrad Borowski of Stroud Green Residents Association and Mr Douglas Palin of Friends of Finsbury Park in objection to proposals with respect to the Haringey Outdoor Events Policy (OEP).

Mr Borowski noted that Stroud Green Residents Association (SGRA) and the Friends of Finsbury Park (FoFP) objected to the proposals primarily on the basis of the impact that additional large scale events would have on the park and upon the amenities of local residents and the proposed increase in fees and charges for the use of the park for events.

Mr Borowski noted that the existing policy allowed for five one day major events and that in practice event promoters had combined days in order to concentrate events over weekends thereby limiting the disruption experienced by local residents to approximately four weekends per year. He contended that residents would face further significant disruption if the new policy were to be agreed as this would allow for five major three day events per year increasing the total number of days permitted from five to fifteen days per year.

With regard to the increased fees and charges proposed Mr Borowski argued that the Council should have consulted with residents on this as part of the consultation undertaken in relation to the OEP. He contended that if residents had been aware of the proposed increases they would have questioned why the Council needed to increase the number of event days from five to fifteen as the income generated by one two day event would meet the Council’s income target of £165k.

Mr Borowski advised that the impact upon local residents caused by noise and nuisance generated by having up to fifteen days of events each year would be unacceptable. The proximity of the area of the park where concerts would be held to homes on the edge of the park would mean that residents living in these areas would have to keep their windows shut during the summer months. In addition to nuisance caused by noise Mr Borowski noted that there had been a significant level of Anti Social Behaviour (ASB) generated by major events held in the park in the past and that this included dumping litter in streets adjacent to the park and people urinating in public areas including gardens and the nearby Stroud Green Primary School playground.

In relation to the timing of events Mr Borowski contended that, in reality, events were unlikely to be spread between April and September, as event organisers would be keen to hold major events during the summer months; therefore events were likely to take place between mid May and mid July, as events would not be permitted during the school holidays. This would, therefore, lead to a concentration of events during this period that would have a significant impact on local residents.

Mr Borowski also argued that the ability of local residents, who regularly used the park, to enjoy the park would be reduced as at least 40% of the park would be taken over by events during the summer months. Furthermore, there would be health and safety issues attached to the setting up and taken down work in preparation for and following major events.

The Leader thanked Mr Borowski for presenting the deputation and opened questions from Cabinet Members by asking Mr Borowski for his views on how the Council might generate income to continue to maintain the high standards of parks in Haringey without allowing more events to be held in the Borough’s parks. In response Mr Borowski noted that the deputation did not object to a limited number of events being held in Finsbury Park; however, they considered that the proposed fees and charges set out in the report meant that parks were being used as an inappropriate means of generating income that would have a negative impact on parks and to local residents.

In addition Mr Palin noted that there was a feeling amongst local residents that under the proposals contained in the OEP, Finsbury Park would used inappropriately to generate a large amount of income for the Council, which may be to the park’s detriment. When asked whether he considered events such as ‘Hackney 1’, permitted by Hackney Council, were a useful means of generating income, Mr Palin noted that consultation with the local community was the key to getting the balance right between income generation and the use of parks and other community assets. He noted that following consultation with residents in the area, proposals to hold events at Hackney marshes had not been taken forward by Hackney Council. 

When it was noted that when individual events were licensed there would be an opportunity for residents to comment on proposals Mr Borowski commented that the OEP and licensing policies should form a coherent approach to major events held in the Borough’s parks.

Following questions for Cabinet Members, the Cabinet Member for the Environment, Councillor Bevan, responded to the deputation. Councillor Bevan began by thanking members of the deputation for attending the meeting and responding to points made with respect to income targets; he noted that there was a distinction to be made between the OEP and the annual review of fees and charges and he clarified that the consultation exercise undertaken had been in relation to the OEP only; however the Cabinet was considering both the OEP and fees and charges within the same report.  He also noted that there was no obligation on the Council to consult with residents on proposed fees and charges.

With regard to the figure of £165k, referred to by Mr Borowski, Councillor Bevan noted that the purpose of the OEP was not to simply meet that income target and that the revised policy was intended to ensure that a range of events could be hosted, generating income to maintain the park and to fund community events. Therefore, the policy covered a range of objectives and was not confined to meeting the £165k income target for Finsbury Park.

Councillor Bevan acknowledged that problems with ASB had been experienced by local residents in the past, particularly around the Stone Roses concert held earlier in the year. However, following the concert officers had reviewed the planning arrangements undertaken and arrangements around the event itself and lessons had been learnt from this that would be applied to the handling of future events. He also noted that Finsbury Park was an amenity not just for local residents but for the whole of London and that the staging of major events should be seen in this context.

With regard to concerns raised in relation to health and safety issues Councillor Bevan noted that when individual events were licensed both the Police and Fire Brigade were consulted and therefore issues of health safety would be considered and dealt with as necessary as part of the licensing process.

In conclusion Councillor Bevan noted that the Council was keen to involve local residents in the running and maintenance of Finsbury Park and that a group was being established, which would include local residents, to monitor events and how these were handled in order to ensure that the concerns of local residents were addressed throughout the process.

Cabinet considered the report, which sought approval of a new operational policy for the management of Outdoor Events in the Borough. The Cabinet Member for Finance, Employment and Carbon Reduction, noted that the proposals would assist the Council to maintain the Borough’s parks to their existing high standard at a time when funding from central Government was being dramatically reduced and he endorsed the proposals contained within the report.

In response to a series of points made by Councillor Wilson with regard to the setting up and take down time attached to major events; damage caused to the park by major events as a result of poor weather conditions; problems experienced by residents in the past with ASB and; the pressure placed on Finsbury Park to generate income, the Leader noted that the setting up and take down time had not been specified in the existing policy and therefore suggesting that the time attached to this would increase by a week either side of a major event was misleading as the new policy made provision to limit this. It was also noted that the OEP looked at a wider range of issues than just the income target for Finsbury Park and that the income generated by events in the Borough under the new policy would be used to assist in maintaining all of the Borough’s parks.

The Cabinet Member for Environment also noted that following consultation with local residents the number of major events permitted in the OEP had been reduced from six to five and that the set up and take down time was also clearly limited within the policy. With regard to damage caused by large numbers of people using the park as part of major events, during periods of bad weather, this type of issue would need to be dealt as and when it occurred as poor weather conditions could not be entirely planned for.

RESOLVED:

1. That the revised Outdoor Events Policy, as set out at Appendix A of the report, be adopted, with effect from 1 January 2014;
2. That the revised Outdoor Event fees and charges, as set out in Appendix B of the report, with effect from 1 January 2014, be approved;
3. That the consultation , as set out in Appendix C of the report, be noted;
4. That it be noted that under the Outdoor Events Policy, additional large events in Finsbury Park would be approved by the Cabinet Member for Environment, where there was demonstrable community support for such an event, and as such, Appendix E, Section 4 of the Council’s Constitution be amended accordingly to include this.
5. That it be noted that current restrictions on Officer decisions would remain and that the Cabinet Member for Environment was still responsible for agreeing any event that:-

Ø  The expected attendance was over 10,000,

Ø  The event last more than 7 days,

Ø  The event last more than 2 days with 5,000 or more in attendance

Ø  The organiser occupies a site for more than 14 days including their setup and take down period.

6. That it be agreed that should the Outdoor Events Policy be adopted, additional income generated by events will be used to undertake maintenance works in parks.

Alternative Options considered

Do nothing – an option to do nothing has been considered as an inappropriate course of action as this would not enable the Council to improve the way it operates and deal with event organisers. This option would mean that the current controls on events in Finsbury Park would remain in force.

This would prevent the Council from increasing the revenue generated by commercial events in the park. It would also prevent the Council from attracting sufficient interest in the park to secure a sustained source of income on an ongoing basis. If no changes were introduced there would not be any support for community groups to develop more local events or to undertake training to increase the skills of local volunteers. In addition any additional revenue generated would be limited to its use in Finsbury Park only.

Revise controls at Finsbury Park only – this option was not considered the best option to pursue as it provided only limited improvements to one of the Borough’s parks. Eighty percent of all events take place outside of Finsbury Park and therefore, many more event organisers could benefit from improvements in the available advice and guidance and improved management processes.

Reasons for decision

Having consulted widely and reviewed the feedback received from residents, organisations and other local authorities, the original proposals have been amended. The revised proposals that are now carried through to Outdoor Event Policy document to ensure the future management of events is efficient and effective.

Through the introduction of the new policy the Council wishes to support and promote wider participation by the community both in events and to host their own events. Furthermore, income from events can be used to support the aims of the policy and to generate funds to reinvest against the identified priorities for Finsbury Park and other parks.