Agenda item

The Cabinet Member for Communities and Civic Life considered  the attached report which sought determination of two applications made by Cogger Nationwide Amusement funfair operators, to hire (1) White Hart Lane Recreation Ground between 11 July and 25 July 2022 and (2) Down Lane Park between 25 July and 8 August 2022 for funfair events.

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 7 January 2014.

The Cabinet Member noted that these were annual events, held over the last 4 years. The applications contained no deviation from previous year’s space  allocations and both parks would remain accessible to the public during the events. There were no concerns received in the consultation held in response to the event notification and the income from the events would be spent on these specific parks.

Further to considering the exempt information,

RESOLVED

1.    To note that no comments were received from any of the recognised stakeholders of both White Hart Lane Recreation Ground and Down Lane Park in response to the event notification being sent as part of the decision-making process (as set out at Appendix 1 to the report).

2.   To authorise the (Interim) Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods, to approve conditional in-principle agreement to hire White Hart Lane Rec and Down Lane Park to the funfair operator for the events detailed in this report as set out in paragraph 6.5, subject to:

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

b.         with the agreement of the Council’s Director of Public Health.

3.         To authorise the (Interim) Director of Environment & Neighbourhoods to enter into agreements and or to grant permissions to hire White Hart Lane Rec and Down Lane Park to the funfair operator (for the events detailed in this report as set out in paragraph 6.5) provided that the (Interim) 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 Applicant 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 both parks. It would also mean that the wider cultural and economic benefits to the borough were lost.

The 2022 Labour Group Manifesto states that the Council will:

a) Set up regular local food festivals in key areas in the borough (such as Green Lanes); and

            b) Host or support more music festivals and events

            so, the application is in keeping with those aspirations.

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.