Lambeth Council has reapproved planning permission for a series of controversial music festivals in Brockwell Park as campaign group Protect Brockwell Park says it is starting more legal action.
Last week a judge ruled that Lambeth Council’s decision to give planning permission to the Brockwell Live series of music festivals was “irrational” because it violated permitted development laws.
These rules allow temporary use of the park for up to 28 days per year without added planning permission as long as a General Permitted Development Order is applied for. The judge found the council had significantly miscalculated the number of days Brockwell Live would use the park and invalidated the permission.
In a statement on its website, Lambeth Council said it has approved a certificate of lawful use for Summer Events Ltd, the organiser of Brockwell Live.
The decision comes just in time, as the first event is scheduled for today.
Campaign group Protect Brockwell Park brought last week’s court action. The group claims that in recent years Brockwell Park’s roster of community events has mushroomed into a series of large scale, ticketed festivals that block off large parts of the park with 3m-high fences for weeks on end and damage the park. The 500,000 sq m park is surrounded by the Herne Hill, Tulse Hill, West Dulwich and Brixton areas of south London.
In a statement, Protect Brockwell Park spokesperson Jen Hawkins said the group had started another round of litigation against the council to stop “a repeat next year”.
“Lambeth has shown that it is willing to ignore a High Court decision,” the statement said. “That must be exposed. A judicial review is the right way to do that. It’s crucial to stopping a repeat next year. We have just issued a pre-action protocol letter to start… proceedings.”
Separately, Hawkins said the council is attempting to appeal last week’s ruling. She said the group had been served with legal papers confirming the challenge.
The first festival scheduled to start today is Wide Awake, followed by Field Day tomorrow, Cross the Tracks on Sunday and City Splash on 26 May. Mighty Hoopla takes place on 31 May and 1 June.
In a statement on its website, Lambeth said it has reapproved Brockwell Live after seeking comment from the local community.
“People were able to comment on the application, with the opportunity to make representations during this week,” the statement said. “This certificate confirms that the use of part of the park for the summer events is lawful. The events in Brockwell Park are proceeding. The application for the new certificate of lawfulness follows the High Court ruling last week on the previous certificate which was submitted in a different context and format.”
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