LAMBETH PARKS UNDER THREAT

Lambeth council is increasingly treating the borough's parks not as valuable open spaces there for the benefit of the community, but as major venues for private hire.

Locals around Brockwell Park have launched a campaign to push back on this. We want to send a message to Lambeth that excluding the public from our parks is not sustainable and will damage both the environment and community for generations to come.  

But more than this we believe it is unlawful, so we are raising funds to challenge Lambeth's policy through Judicial Review.

COMMERCIAL EVENTS KEEP PARK USERS OUT

Earlier this year Lambeth Council took the decision to lease Brockwell Park to Global Entertainment Ltd to stage a major private festival; FieldDay. It had a capacity 2x that of the O2 and the site was fenced off with 12-foot steel fences for three weeks.

It was the first time a private event of this scale had taken place in Brockwell, but Lambeth’s parks policy allows for many more every year. In every main park.

If implemented this will turn Lambeth parks into more or less full-time commercial venues throughout the summer. Lambeth is one of London's most densely populated boroughs; few schools have playing fields and many residents don't have gardens. Free and open access to a park is vital for education, health, and the mental well being of the whole community. 

HURTING THE LOCAL ECONOMY

Parks are integral to the local economy. Surrounding businesses rely on residents coming to or cutting through the park for trade.

It's often argued that holding major events in parks will bring money into the area. But with a ban on taking in any food or drink and punters keen to get through queues as fast as possible, the reality is most local traders lose money as their regular customers stay away. 

Taking FieldDay as an example, some local shops lost over £2000 on one weekend, and many simple shut during the event because trade was so bad. 

DAMAGE TO THE ENVIRONMENT

At the moment too little emphasis is put on protecting parks' delicately balanced natural environment; major entertainment companies take home millions in profits while spending next to nothing on even simple environmental protection measures.

Plastic and metal is ground into the soil, turf is ripped up and birds and insects are driven out of their homes.

Following FieldDay there were multiple reports of abandoned nests and birds fledging too early, as their parents were driven out by the disruption.

We want to see investment in protecting the park environment put at the top of the list of considerations for any private event given permission to use a public space.

CLEAR LAW

Previous court decisions have made clear that parks can't be used as cash cows. Any money raised in a park belongs to that park's trust; it should be spent on maintaining and enhancing that park.

These events raise a lot less money than many people think, but even then only a tiny proportion of it goes back to the local community or parks budget. Brockwell Park will receive around 10% of the amount Global Entertainment paid to use it. Yet it is the park and nearby communities that have to bear 100% of the problems.

WHAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE

Our legal action isn't about stopping all private events, but ensuring that those that take place are chosen and planned with the best interests of the park and local community at heart.

The renting out of Lambeth's parks is increasing, to a level that is not sustainable. We believe that ensuring any money raised goes back to the parks that host the event will put the welfare of the park itself at the heart of Lambeth's decisions about which events to hold. Events that do more damage than the money raised justifies will be pushed out, and it will give locals a greater say in what takes place in their green space.

THE PLAN

The first step is to issue Lambeth with a Pre Action Letter; this is a formal letter outlining why we believe the policy is unlawful. It will lay out our case, and we need both a barrister and solicitor to pull it together.  

To send the Pre Action Letter we need to raise £3,500.  This is the basic target for our funding campaign.

We really hope that when they review the legal situation, Lambeth Council will rethink their policy without the need for further legal challenge.

If they don’t, the next step would be to take things to a full Judicial Review.  

To do this we need to raise a further £20,000, and this is our stretch target.

WHY THIS MATTERS

The parks that we're talking about are your parks. You own them, they are there for you, your children... your grandchildren.  Park provide tranquil space, open to everyone. They are not there to serve the commercial interests of a small number of big businesses. 

Please give what you can towards our legal fees and help tip the balance back in favour of the local communities that love and live alongside Lambeth's parks.