00:00Plans to hold a series of festivals in Brockwell Park were approved despite opposition from local
00:06residents. Lambeth Council's Planning Applications Committee voted unanimously to grant temporary
00:13permission for events after more than an hour of debate on Tuesday evening. Summer Events Limited,
00:21which runs the Brockwell Live Series, had submitted its first full planning application
00:26the previous year. Until then, the festivals had operated under permitted development rights,
00:32which only allow certain temporary events to take place without any formal planning permission.
00:41The company was granted permission to use just over a quarter of the park for up to 32 days between
00:47the
00:489th of May and the 9th of June 2026 and allowed time to set up for show days during wet
00:53weather
00:54buffer days as well. Now five ticketed music and cultural festivals were planned. Field Day,
01:00Cross the Tracks, City Splash, Mighty Hoopla and Brockwell Bounce as well. But what do Londoners
01:06think about festivals happening in London parks? Well, I've got no objection to the parks being used
01:12for festivals or any other events, community-based events, you know, which benefit the local community.
01:18The other way I look at it is that councils are under such severe pressure financially now,
01:23particularly from central government, but it's a way of generating income. And I think that's really
01:28important to the local rate players. I'm mildly biased myself just because I personally have a lot
01:34of frustrations with the wireless festival that comes here every year nowadays, just because I don't
01:38like there being a significant chunk of the year, especially during summer when much of the park is
01:44inaccessible or difficult to navigate for local residents and stuff like that. And I also really resent
01:49the, um, after the festival is gone, there's usually just like a massive patch of dead grass directly
01:54opposite the bowl where they set the festival stuff up. And that's extremely frustrating to deal with,
01:59especially because it takes a full year to recover and then it's just obliterated again.
02:03The organisers of the events really need to be environmentally conscious and to clear up after them
02:08and ensure that they are, the parks are basically returned in a, in a good state, you know.
02:15Joe Elkins, event director at Brockwell Live has stated that the events were a reflection of the
02:21diversity, creativity and spirit that made Lambeth and London extraordinary. He added that the committee
02:28report highlighted a projected 10 million pound contribution to the local economy in South London.
02:35environmental consultant Mike Harris said that ecological assessments had demonstrated that the
02:41impacts were temporary, uh, localized and appropriately, appropriately mitigated as well.
02:47Councillor Adrian Garden said that views were mixed and often nuanced and called for greater transparency
02:54regarding community benefits.
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