Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
More Commercial Concerts Scheduled For Finsbury Park
FINSBURY Park faces another summer of noise, damage and disruption as a result of Haringey Council's policy of promoting large-scale commercial concerts in our Park.
Live Nation are already advertising a three-day 'Wireless Festival' scheduled to take place in Finsbury Park from 3rd-5th July.
They didn't even wait for the outcome of their Land Use Application to Haringey Council to be decided, such is their confidence in the outcome of the process.
The 2014 Wireless Festival occupied an unprecedentedly large swathe of the Park and enclosed the most popular areas behind high barriers for three weeks – at the height of summer.
Despite overwhelming opposition to their events policy, Haringey Council have resolutely ignored representations from Park user groups and community representatives. Regardless of other considerations, they seem determined to exact as much revenue as possible from these events, allowing a daily attendance of 49,999.
The damage wrought by 49,000 pairs of feet hammering the turf during the 2014 Wireless Festival, left the east of our Park looking like a large rodeo ring.
The damage caused to roads and paths is still unrepaired.
Haringey's parks should be primarily people's parks and not commercial parks.
In it's determination to market Finsbury Park as an asset to be sweated, Haringey Council further demonstrates it's poor custodianship of our parks and green spaces.
The Friends of Finsbury Park are campaigning for an end to damaging commercial events of this scale.
If you would like to join the Friends, please e-mail your name and address to
thefriendsoffinsburypark@gmail.com
Membership is free.
Haringey Councillor
Liberal Democrat Party
Tags for Forum Posts: finsbury park, finsbury park events, wireless festival
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sarah on
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I've just started going to the parkrun there so I would hate anything to ruin my enjoyment of that. The council had better be making a lot of money from it... (these straitened times etc)
Last year after the Arctic Monkeys concert it was before I moved here but I was attending an event in Crouch End and had to go home via Finsbury Park. I felt unsafe and uncomfortable as almost the only woman in a tube carriage full of very young, drunk men. And by "full" it was so packed I could not avoid full-body contact with the man standing behind me.
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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I felt unsafe and uncomfortable as almost the only woman in a tube carriage full of very young, drunk men.
Sarah, the point you make was also made recently at a public meeting by a member of the Somali community, who spoke movingly on behalf of women and children anxious about safety around the Finsbury Park area.
As a concerned local resident, I attended this meeting that took place in Islington Borough in the Finsbury Park Mosque. That this meeting had to take place in another Borough and hosted by Councillors of another Borough, is a reflection of a number of things:
- increased level of public concern in Islington and Hackney;
- the disregarding (by Haringey Council) and successful suppression, of dissent by local residents
- disregard for public opinion at the end of a Haringey Council Scrutiny Committee, in January 2014, after Haringey residents gave evidence for three hours about the effects of the existing big-events policies;
- establishment and control by Haringey Council of a "Stakeholder" Group that largely represents business interests, and which – as far as ordinary residents are concerned – is IMO a sop and a sham;
- lack of confidence in the integrity and sincerity of Haringey Council: before the latest "Consultation" finished, the promoters of the mega-event had already announced the gig line-up. This is more evidence of the Haringey tradition of sham-consultation.
Haringey Council has stonewalled over criticism of their conduct and the conduct of their Licensees. At the public meeting (above) I learnt for the first time that Islington Police had objected to Haringey's mega-concerts policy. Haringey Police apparently have no problem: at least, officially. I find that curious and remarkable.
Haringey Council has shown disregard for its neighbours: both residents in neighbouring boroughs and the Councils of those Boroughs. They care little what their own residents think, but the residents of neighbouring Boroughs may as well live in Normandy!
Our Council's "Stakeholder Group" – vaunted by the Cabinet and by some local Councillors of the Majority Group – has not met since September, following their belated claim to publish Minutes and to be more open. About our park.
The only answer in the short term, IMO, is to join an independent group, beyond the control of the Local Authority, as above.
CDC
Haringey Councillor
Liberal Democrat Party
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Permalink Reply by Jamie on
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Just for balance, I for one am in favour of concerts being held in the park. This is part of what living in London is about. There are issues about the scale and number of events, PERHAPS, but it is hard to take the complaints seriously when they come from out and out rejectionists. I'm pleased to see there are at least some special deals for residents (no booking fees, exclusive booking). I would like to see more of that, and more free events, to give something back to the community.
Dancing in the street outside our flat with my two-year-old to Hey Ya! last year was a highlight.
Also, the need to generate revenue would not be so great if Mr Carter's party weren't propping up this despicable government that are imposing such vicious cuts on local authorities, with the burden cynically falling heaviest on Labour-controlled authorities.
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Basically, the issue is not about sweating a commercial asset, it is about whether you think young people coming together and having fun listening to music is a good thing. I do.
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Just for balance, I for one am in favour of concerts being held in the park.
Ditto. I for one am not a "rejectionist" and welcome concerts in the park. However, surely not at any size or price? It is surely possible for a concert to be too big and to have too big an impact on local residents? 45,000 is too many from several viewpoints, apart from those who take a selfish view.
Amongst the constructive suggestions made 13 months ago at the Scrutiny meeting were more, but smaller concerts.
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Permalink Reply by Andy H on
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excellent!...
i love local concerts like this...and i bet the local traders do too.
the only downside i found with the previous ones was the dreadful racket made by helicopters drowning out the music as i sat in the garden trying to listen and enjoy it!
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Permalink Reply by Madeline on
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When I moved here in 1978 there were no fenced off commercial concerts in the park. It was a lovely place to take my dog and young son for a day out in a local large green space. Nowadays I can't take my granddaughter there. There is no green space and the 'young' people frequenting these concerts don't give a hoot for parents with young families trying to enjoy the remaining space outside the fences. In truth I consider it a dangerous place to be on such occasions. Drunken and rowdy behaviour, (not all the rowdies are drunk), litter, p*ss*ing and sh*tt*ng where ever they want, rudeness and the sheer amount of them (outside the fences) mean this is no longer the open, child friendly haven it once used to be.
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Permalink Reply by Ruth on
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I've just received this in response to my detailed complaint about the Wireless events...
Dear Resident/Finsbury Park Stakeholder
Thank you for the feedback you recently submitted regarding the proposed Wireless Festival in Finsbury Park. Your views and comments are very much valued.
We would like to reiterate that the Live Nation application to use Finsbury Park is still subject to agreement, despite what you may have recently heard.
Officers and Councillors are currently reviewing all of the responses we have received including yours and will respond to you directly, in due course.
We have also set up a web page and will update it as and when there is more information to share. This can be viewed at www.haringey.gov.uk/finsburyparkevents
Kind regards,
Parks and Leisure Services
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Permalink Reply by tigha on
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Bar Humbug
The festivals probably only close off part of the park for a grande total of 3weeks out of every 52 weeks of the year, and the actual festivals are probably only on for about a total of 10 days during the year, I would have thought Ruth that would give you and everyone else plenty of time and space to take your grandson to hang out in the park- i also love the green space and over the last few years they have really made some good work in the park
But parks are also for festivals-that is british tradition, now more than ever- if you dont like it move near regents park- which is probably one of the few parks without festivals in it- although I think even they do
I note you have lived in the area for a long time, But it irks me when people who have only lived here a few years moan about the festivals, which have been here far longer than they have- they have been traditional for years- we love them, at least many of us, part of the reason i bought my first property here 20years ago
I notice noone complains about the weekly funruns they have most saturdays through the summer hols in the park, where upon hundreds of runners run about kms round the park, often turning the grass into a total mudbath and totally trashing the grass as much as any festival does- fine they are raising money for charity, but haringay doesnt see any of it- at least the festival brings money in, and makes a lot of people happy- yes noone likes drunk people, same as kicking out time at the pub, or when arsenal play at home
DONT BE STUPID_ STAY HOME_ ITS EASY
I mean ideally it would always be music we liked- but guess that would be too much too hope=
End of RANT
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I take part in those fun runs. They take half an hour and are on the paths. When I am training I cannot stay home.
As a new park user I intend to reserve judgment until I see for myself the impact these events have.
I reiterate though that I would like to feel a lot safer on my way home in the evening.
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I do stay at home and I'm affected by it there too. I see people doing unmentionable things in the street and on my property. I am forced to listen to the noise/music/shouting/screams etc whether I like it or not. My house overlooks the park right at the festival sites so I get it thrust at me from all angles. Don't tell me to move, don't tell me to go away whilst there's a festival. Why should I?
My circumstances mean that I am trapped here anyway and have no choice but to endure the nuisance caused by these events.
There weeks out of fifty two? Times by how many concerts? The concert sites take up the largest part of open green space and is well used in the summer, well it used to be when space was open. Trucks, workmen, hammer drills generators, that's what's there for the ten days either side of a concert, Noise and disruption for everybody round here within the park boundaries and outside while that's all going on.
Someone mentioned the offer of no booking fees for local residents? Big deal. That's no compensation for those of us that see this as an invasion of our rights to a peaceful existence in our own homes. And what if you don't like that particular band or style of 'music'? People like my OAP neighbours and the couple next door with a newborn baby they're trying to get to sleep?
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