Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Friends of Finsbury Park to Mount Legal Challenge to Wireless
The Friends of Finsbury Park want to stop the Wireless Concert occupying "a third" of the park for two week in mid-summer
The Friends of Finsbury Park have set a course to mount a legal challenge to Haringey Council's renting out Finsbury Park for the Wireless Festival
The Friends say of the Wireless Festival, "It is almost impossible to comprehend its vast scale and the impact it has on Finsbury Park. Last year’s Wireless Festival covered almost one third of the size of the Park, surrounded by an oppressive 8ft high green metal barrier to keep Park users out, in some areas stretching as far as the eye could see.
"Many local residents don't have gardens so the park serves as a vital outdoor amenity, and as events such as Wireless Festival take weeks to set up and take down the public is denied access to what should be public space.
"Last year’s Wireless Festival, which was held over two summer weekends, attracted crowds of 50,000 per day causing massive disruption, damage, excessive noise, and antisocial behaviour in streets surrounding the Park.
Relationships between the Friends group and the Council have long been frosty. But now it appears they are breaking down altogether with meetings being cut short or cancelled and now a legal challenge. A spokesman for the friends group said "We've tried everything to get Haringey Council to enter into discussions with us, but they refuse to listen, stopping all public consultation and ignoring stakeholder groups, local residents and park users".
The group is now launching a legal challenge to stop the Council staging the festival and similar major events in Finsbury Park. I am not clear at this stage what the basis of the legal challenge is, but I'm guessing the clue might well be in a recent statement:
Finsbury Park is a public park that was formed by virtue of the Finsbury Park Act 1857; it is registered as a Grade II Historic Park and Garden and is also Metropolitan Open Land.
The group say they will have to pay up to £35,000 plus VAT for issuing the proceedings and having a one day hearing in the High Court. To raise the required monies, a crowdfunfing page was set up on Monday. As of today the page has attracted over £5,000 funding, about 12% of the total amount they may require.
Alongside the preparations for the legal challenge, the friends group have also lodged an official objection to the festival.
Tags for Forum Posts: finsbury park, finsbury park events, wireless festival
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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I haven't seen the correspondence, Michael and so I'm making no prior assumptions about who is "holding a gun" to whose head. If that is indeed the position.
Before he twice took Haringey to Court and won, Rev Paul Nicolson told the Council they had acted unlawfully. Instead of sitting down and talking to him and the lawyers advising him, perhaps to find a way through or round the problem, they wasted lot of public money to no purpose. Twice.
Do I think the threat of legal action is justified in getting Haringey Council to start talking and trying to reach a reasonable compromise? Actually it shouldn't be necessary.
Years ago an excellent manager told me that managers should always try to avoid painting themselves or their staff members into a corner. Claire Kober's Haringey sometimes seems to make a habit of painting itself into corners. I hope it hasn't done so once again.
Also many years ago, I was a very inexperienced chair of a school Governing Body. Luckily we had access to a very experienced and wise Personnel adviser.
Her answer to one of my questions was along the lines of:
"I don't think you should be asking me that question, as you may not like the professional answer I would give. Instead you may want to explain the outcome you want to reach and I will advise you how you might achieve it, by acting reasonably within the rules." -
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Permalink Reply by Pat on
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Alan, do you not think that the friends have only one point of view and the only compromise is to stop these kind of events. This is how I read the situation. I have asked many questions on these threads and there have never been a clear answer, which is incredibly frustrating.
This is not about the removal of green spaces or to paraphrase Leon Rosselson "....building a motorway through me back garden". Rather, it is about a very vocal minority who want to have it all their own way. Mr Carter has stated that ithe festivals not only affect the borough of Haringey, but also the neighbouring boroughs. Yet Clissold Park still holds large events and on match days Tottenham and Finsbury Park/Arsenal cater for 10s of thousands, yet people still carry on with their lives.
We should be able to share our spaces. I am willing to but a few, I feel are not, which is not only a shame but makes me angry as it could potentially affect the enjoyment of a lot of people and waste a lot of money, which, as I have stated before, is madness when councils are having to cut vital services due to austerity budgets.
Your rugby comment made me smile because the modern game is all about the crash ball.
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Permalink Reply by Sharon on
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I live opposite the park and, as I don't have access to a garden, I use the park for regular outdoor activity.
I also have severe social anxiety and other MH difficulties which means I rely on the park for a (relatively) safe place to enjoy being outside. During the last Wireless festivel season I felt very threatened by so many people being in the area, not necessarily the ones going into the park but the ones hanging outside the entrances drinking/smoking/etc. Last year I got to the point where I had to stay with a friend to get out of the area which I don't really expect to have to do. One weekend wouldn't be so bad but two consecutive ones a is just too much and shows the greed that runs the Council.
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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Sharon the points you make parallel those made at a meeting in the Finsbury Park Mosque in January last year that I attended. A spokesman gave moving testimony about the feeling of intimidation felt by the Somali community. That public meeting about Wireless was convened and hosted by Islington Councillors after pressure from residents.
Wireless impacts three Boroughs and arguably, Hackney worst of all.
The Highbury Community Association has reservations about Wireless.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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The Highbury Community Association joins the ranks of those using my Wikipedia photo without the required credit - tut!
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Permalink Reply by Junior Bennett on
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Yo haven't actually listed any threatening behavior though you do realise that? Just that you don't like large crowds - so because you live opposite and use the park for regular activity it should be open to you 365 days a year?
Do you think you somehow have more of a right to the park than other residents within the borough? do you know how long that park has been there?
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Permalink Reply by Penny A on
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Hi Junior Bennett, I think Sharon was very brave sharing her social anxiety on here. I don't think she has to defend her position and share factual evidence, she is giving her opinion and sharing her observations. I don't think she is saying she has more of a right to the park either and is reasonably questioning the length and scale of Wireless which several other people have also highlighted. I guess it's hard for us to empathise with how such a large scale event feels to someone with social anxiety who also lives opposite the park and therefore right on top of the event.
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Ok I didn't see the social anxiety bit - io take that back.
I dont think it unreasonable to ask for examples of threatening behavior however ( I didn't ask her to defend her position) - I was simply asking for an example. if I said people on here are close minded and don't like dissenting views are you going to just take that as a "fact" ?
I also disagree with the principle of arguing of the length and scale - the people who attend have no problem with it and the park is for public use which means sometimes it might be used for things that you dont want to partake in. Is two weekends really that excessive? I don't think so and to say that it is is a very much claiming more of a right to the park over everyone else..
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Permalink Reply by Robin2 on
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Junior:
- "the people who attend have no problem with it". And your point is...? Wireless attendees are people from outside the borough who don't care about the park or local amenities and are just turning up to get trashed and dance around
- "and the park is for public use which means sometimes it might be used for things that you don't want to partake in." Wireless is a private event, not a public one, which is actually the point - the public are being denied the use of the park
"is two weekends really that excessive?" - it's more than just two weekends it's two weeks each time from the start of setting up to the dismantling - and now we have plans for FOUR events per year for the next TEN years (something i am amazed people aren't more concerned about...)
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Permalink Reply by DTW on
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Wow not one person from near Finsbury Park or Harringay attends wireless festival.
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Exactly - so spurious I was embarrassed to respond.
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Billy, check out this link. Gives names and Charity return compliance.
http://beta.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?subid=0&r...
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