Agenda item

The Cabinet Member for Culture, Communities & Leisure considered the attached decision making report which sought  determination of an application made by Krank Events Ltd (the Applicant) to hire Finsbury Park for a period in July/August in 2023, in order to stage two consecutive multi-event weekends.

The Cabinet Member noted that the application was required to be determined pursuant to the Council’s Outdoor Events Policy (the Policy), which was approved by Cabinet on 17th December 2013, and implemented on 7th January 2014.

Further to considering the exempt information , and  noting that the income from this event would be invested  in the Park and there were no additional costs to the Council for holding this event, The Cabinet Member for Culture, Communities & Leisure

RESOLVED

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

2.    That pursuant to Contract Standing Order 16.02, to authorise the Director of Environment and Resident Experience to (1) approve conditional, in-principle agreement to hire Finsbury Park to the Applicant for the events and dates detailed in this report as set out in paragraph 6.4 and (2) enter into contract to hire Finsbury Park to the Applicant (for the events detailed in this report as set out in paragraph 6.4) provided that the Director of Environment and Resident Experience 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.  It is considered that this decision is non-key because it is (a) not likely to result in the local authority incurring expenditure which is, or the making of savings which are, significant having regard to the local authority's budget for the service or function to which the decision relates; or (b) to be significant in terms of its effects on communities living or working in an area comprising two or more wards or electoral divisions in the area of the local authority.

With respect to (b) the impact of the proposed decision on communities is not considered to be significant because the area does not comprise an area of two or more wards. And whilst there is strong local feeling from a section of the community, there is active engagement and opportunity for stakeholders to feedback. Also any impacts of the events are not significant and have no lasting effect given the short duration of the events during the year. However, feedback and those impacts, such as they are, are considered within the report along with proposed mitigations.

If authority is given, then officers will give in-principle agreement to the Applicant for the event applications to progress. The events are subject to lengthy discussions with relevant authorities - including Licensing - before final approval is given.

The rejection of the application would have implications for the Parks & Leisure Service budget and reduce the opportunity for reinvestment into Finsbury Park (the 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 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 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.