Concerns over park closures grow as Brockwell Live 2024 events set to return for five weeks

Large areas of Brockwell Park are to be closed to the public for five weeks and Brockwell Live is to receive a license for 2024.

The Approval of event to be held on Council-owned land – Brockwell Live 2024 report sets out the application for the Great Wall of Brockwell to be built from 13 May.

The license states that the park will be returned to the public on June 17, after the Lambeth Country Show.

This is the third year running that the Lambeth Country Show has been moved from its traditional July slot. The free county show shares the organizing infrastructure with the paid private events.

The report states:

“It has enabled the Council to continue to keep the Country Show a free community celebration and London’s largest free community event”

Brockwell Live is owned by Summer Events Ltd and produced by We Organize Chaos.

The events are:

Project 6 (May 24), Wide Awake (May 25), Cross The Tracks (May 26), City Splash (May 27), Brockwell Bounce (May 29) and Mighty Hoopla (June 1 and 2).

Cabinet Member for Stronger Communities Councilor Donatus Anyanwu is expected to sign the report. The commercial agreement with Summer Events Ltd is confidential.

The report confirms that Lambeth Council has costs of £45,000 to help manage the events.

Lambeth’s current events policy allows for a maximum of three consecutive weekends of major events each year at Brockwell Park, one of which would be the Lambeth Country Show.

The report includes details of some of the issues that arose last year:

“Traffic and illegal parking were discussed in the technical assessment phase of the application process. City Splash in particular was a concern when it came to traffic issues in 2023.”

Recommendations for 2024 include:

“Request for additional toilets at keyed entrances.

Increase the management and deployment of police at the newly implemented Tulse Hill exit point.

Consider changing the site layout and stage locations to change the location with the greatest noise impact.”

A community event for local residents was held on February 5, 2024. The report presents some of the requests made by the community:

“Demand for more security at City Splash.

More must-have activities for teenagers at the Brockwell Bounce event.

Faster response to build Lime bikes on sidewalks.

Information about the distribution of votes. Information requested on how to get a ticket and how to avoid people getting tickets two years in a row.

Asking why there are fences around the park benches, even when they are outside the perimeter of the event.”

Residents also requested:

“Commitment to restore the land as quickly and efficiently as possible to ensure residents can continue to use all areas of the park.”

Lambeth claims:

“A ground maintenance and restoration program is in place and recognizes that due to the number of event days, increased soil protection measures, remediation and ground restoration must be planned and implemented. Summer Events Ltd. pays all reinstatement.”