Agenda item

The Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and the Climate Emergency considered the report which sought a determination of five applications made by three different funfair operators including Manning’s Amusements Limited to hire (1) Finsbury Park between 28 March and 19 April 2022 and (2) Ducketts Common between 20 June and 04 July 2022; Manning’s Fairview Company Ltd to hire (3) Priory Park between 14 April 2022 and 03 May 2022 and (4) Markfield Park between 13 June and 27 June 2022; and Carters Entertainment Ltd to hire (5) Priory Park between 21 June and 5 July 2022, for funfair events.

The report noted that the applications were required to be determined pursuant to the Council’s Outdoor Events Policy (the Policy), which was approved by Cabinet on 17 December 2013, and implemented on 07 January 2014.

The Cabinet Member RESOLVED

1.    To consider, and take account of, the comment received from a recognised stakeholder of Finsbury Park in response to the event notification being sent as part of the decision-making process (attached as Appendix 2 to the report).

2.    To authorise the Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods, to approve conditional in-principle agreement to hire Finsbury Park, Ducketts Common, Markfield Park and Priory Park to the funfair operators for the events detailed in this report as set out in paragraph 6.5, subject to:

(i)            the events being permissible under any then prevailing government legislation and guidance in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic, and

(ii)          with the agreement of the Council’s (interim) Director of Public Health.

3.    To authorise the Director of Environment & Neighbourhoods to enter into agreements and or to grant permissions to hire Finsbury Park, Ducketts Common, Markfield Park and Priory Park to the funfair operators (for the events detailed in this report as set out in paragraph 6.5) provided that the Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods is satisfied with the terms of any proposed agreements and permissions.

Reasons for decision

Under the terms of the 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 Applicants for the event applications to progress. The events will then be subject to discussions between the Applicant and the Council before final agreement is given.

The rejection of the applications would have implications for the Parks & Leisure Service budget and reduce the opportunity for reinvestment into Finsbury Park, Ducketts Common, Markfield Park and Priory Park. 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 parks for a limited number of funfairs and circuses each year. Accordingly, the only other alternative option which could be considered would be to reject the applications. 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 Policy for automatic refusal.