South London park ‘must be used for big music events so free country acts can take place’

Residents are “kidding” themselves if they think the Lambeth Country Show can go on without ticketed events such as the Mighty Hoopla, which is held in Brockwell Park to foot the bill, the area’s Labor candidate has said.

Helen Hayes, the party’s candidate for Dulwich and West Norwood, told constituents at a meeting on Wednesday night (June 26) that a lack of government money has left the local council struggling to cover the costs of even the most basic services. Hayes, who has been the area’s MP since 2015, was responding to a question about whether local assets such as Brockwell Park should be used to generate revenue to fund other spending.

She said: “It is really important to recognize the depth of the funding crisis in local government. If anyone sitting here thinks we’ll still have the Lambeth Country Show in its 50th year as a two-day, free festival… attend. no paid events in the park, then I think you’re kidding.”

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Heavy rain during the spring break last month, combined with footfall from three consecutive days of festivals at Brockwell Park, turned a section of the park into a mud pit. Officials have resorted to covering parts of the park with wood chips so the Mighty Hoopla can safely take place the following weekend.

But many locals were upset that large sections of grass were left dead and covered in tire tracks. Hayes added that he acknowledged there had been “significant issues” this year and said he had taken them up with the Labour-led local council.

Leon Cook, Conservative candidate for Dulwich and West Norwood, said it was “ridiculous” that the council was allowing large events to take place in the park for three months. He said: “It looks like diggers and JCBs have gone over it. (…) It’s not Glastonbury. It’s not a field in the middle of Gloucestershire. It’s a public facility that not everyone in the community can access and to have full access. I don’t think that’s acceptable.”

Pete Elliot, the Green Party candidate for the area, said the problems seen this year were inevitable because of the scale of events the council was allowing to take place in the park. Mr Elliot, a former councillor, said: “There are lots of estates around these parks and these spaces are effectively the gardens of people who don’t have gardens. (…) This kind of disaster that we had this year was going to happen at some point when we get some extra rain.”

Liberal Democrat candidate Donna Harris accused the Labour-led local council of turning a blind eye to problems with events at Brockwell Park. Cllr Harris, Leader of the Opposition at Lambeth Council, said: “Residents are very upset. Lambă Labura does not listen to anyone. We need a full investigation, which is what we have asked for.”

She added: “Don’t get me wrong, we’re not living in Dickensian times and I think things like the great (Mighty) Hoopla and what have you, are fantastic. The LGBT community is a big part of where we live (…) But there has to be a mitigation.”

Gary Stevens, the reform candidate, said the events at the park were “amazing” and praised the Labour-led council for putting money behind them. He added: “The front (of the park) looks terrible. The back, it’s still completely untouched. If you want to go and relax in the back, there’s still a lot of space you can use there too.”

Mike Spenser, an independent candidate, also spoke at the gatherings at Herne Hill Baptist Church organized by community groups. Candidates were quizzed on topics including the cost of living, climate, Israel-Palestine and crime at the event organized by community groups Norwood Forum and Herne Hill Forum.

Labor is on course to win Dulwich and West Norwood with 56 per cent of the vote, according to a Survation poll published on 15 June. The Green Party is second with 16 percent, the Conservatives third with 15 percent and Reform fourth. per nine percent, according to the same survey.

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