Friends of Alexandra Park have just sent around the proposal below for feedback from its members:
Proposal for increase in commercial events in the Park
The Alexandra Park and Palace management has recently put forward a proposal, for approval by the Board of Trustees on September 29th, to apply to Haringey Council for a ‘Premises Licence’ for Alexandra Park. As currently proposed, this licence would permit a significant increase in the number of commercial events in the Park. The Board meeting is immediately preceded by a joint meeting of the Consultative and Statutory Advisory Committees, which I will attend as usual, as representative of the Friends of Alexandra Park. I believe the increase in Park events is a significant change for the Park, and I would like you, if you have time, to read the following and the proposal and let me have your views before the meetings on September 29th.
The Premises Licence is not in itself the issue, but the probable size and frequency of future events for which the Trust management is seeking permission, is causing some concern. The Appendices to the proposal show the areas proposed for events (The Grove, the Upper Field, the South Slope, the Pavilion car park, and Newlands Field) and the audience/visitor capacity and type of event which would be considered for each area. The Events team at the Palace have carried out safety studies and noise modelling to support this, and as a consequence only the South Slope is proposed for major music events. The other areas are identified for a variety of possible events such as smaller music events, theatre, opera, food festival, arts festival, corporate events etc.
As you will see from the proposal, the Trust management is not proposing anything like the Wireless Festival, which caused so many problems at Finsbury Park, and I can confirm from discussions with the AP&P Events Director that the Trust management is very conscious of the potential impact of Park events on neighbouring residential areas. However, the proposal in no way addresses the main impacts of events on the Park and its users, namely, the loss of access to parts of the Park, the presence of vehicles in the Park, particularly during setting up and breaking down, or the cumulative effects of increased footfall and pollution on the ecology of the Park. These effects are a function of the number and scale of the events. The maximum number of events noted in the proposal are:
Large (15,000 – 30,000) 8 event days per year
Medium (5,000 – 15,000) 11 event days per year
Small (0 – 5,000) 26 event days per year
Hence, as most of these events will be in the summer months, there could be a large or medium event every other weekend, with associated vehicle traffic in the Park in the days before and after.
The Friends of Alexandra Park recognise that the Trust needs to generate additional income, and that some of this can come from commercial events in the Park. In my view the Trust management has established a reasonable and improving track record of managing significant events in the Park with sensitivity to local residents (e.g. the Summer Festival, Red Bull Soap Box Derby, Foodie Festival), and I feel some increase in the number of events is acceptable. However I am doubtful whether the level of events contemplated in the proposal is compatible with everyday enjoyment of the Park, or with the proper maintenance of the Park as a Local Nature Reserve.
The Park is already accumulating damage and deterioration from events in the Park, not all of which can be quickly or easily repaired. It is essential that there is investment in the infrastructure of the Park ahead of the expansion of events in the Park, such as the re-building of paths and roads so that heavier vehicles do not cause damage at every event.
It is unfortunate that the Trust management has put forward this application for a Premises Licence without first properly setting out its intentions for increased event activity in the Park. Nevertheless we need to take this opportunity to make clear our position to the Trust committees and Board. The Friends’ committee want to understand how you feel about this proposal for an increase in the number of events in the Park, so please let us know your views by email to allyparkn10@gmail.com, by September 28th if possible.
Gordon Hutchinson
Chair, Friends of Alexandra Park
http://www.friendsofalexandrapark.org
Replies
Thanks for sharing. There's still time to offer views to the Friends if you're quick! Below is what I just sent to Gordon:
Hello Gordon
I picked up your message via the Alexandra Park Neighbours forum and thought I would send you my thoughts about the proposal to increase events in the park.
My initial concerns on hearing these plans was that large areas of the park would be taken over by the sort of operations that occupy Finsbury Park. While Alexandra Park is probably large enough to accommodate most events without excluding the public from too much of the park, it's the visual eyesore of the 'Berlin wall' type-barriers and consequent loss of amenity, not to mention the massive increase in heavy vehicle movements that would concern me should they come to Alexandra Park. It's reassuring to read the Trust is not proposing this sort of event. For the Wireless Festival in Finsbury Park, apart from the actual weekend of festivities the park is negatively impacted for everyone else for a considerable period of time either side of the event for set up/take down. Recent large events in Alexandra Park such as the Red Bull events seem to have been carried off with much less impact, as noted in your message. We are fortunate that the Trust have apparently sincere concerns for their neighbours.
One potential concern of an increase in events could be the more regular closure of Alexandra Palace Way. However in my (anecdotal) experience there is much less through traffic in the Palace Gates area when Alexandra Palace Way is closed, which would make sense as that road is an obvious incentive for drivers to leave the main roads to the north and cut through this area when going to/from Crouch End. Notwithstanding the impact of more regular closures on those who rely in the W3 bus, I would prefer events to take place on the roadway and other areas of existing hardstanding such as car parks than risk damage to the greener, more ecologically sensitive areas of the park.
As a local resident, what I would like to see from further plans (and what could well ease any potential opposition from local residents) is a clear commitment from the Trust to invest a proportion of profits made from paying events in park infrastructure. Some park infrastructure obviously requires investment: The Lower Path is an important and well-used walking and cycle route, but has been in a very poor condition for many years. Similarly the children's playground is quite outdated and could do with a refresh, and generally the park would benefit from more areas for spontaneous play (i.e. a natural play area in the old deer enclosure!). A plan to upgrade public amenity tied to the increased revenue from park events would be welcome, and possibly avoid any ill-feeling that profit from the large events was not being invested back into the park.