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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

LAST night's letter from The Friends of Finsbury Park to Haringey Council

LAST evening, Registered Charitable Trust The Friends of Finsbury Park issued what could be seen as a final warning to Haringey Council, not to proceed at 9:30 this morning with their Cabinet Member Signing for another five-year deal with Live Nation:

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From: [personal email address]
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Sent: Thursday, March 19, 2026 10:48:43 pm
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To: peray.ahmet@haringey.gov.uk a href="mailto:peray.ahmet@haringey.gov.uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">peray.ahmet@haringey.gov.uk>; emily.arkell@haringey.gov.uk a href="mailto:emily.arkell@haringey.gov.uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">emily.arkell@haringey.gov.uk>; Andy Donald a href="mailto:andy.donald@haringey.gov.uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">andy.donald@haringey.gov.uk>
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Subject: Request to postpone the Signing of the 5-year deal with Festival Republic/Live Nation on Friday 20th 2026

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Friends of Finsbury Park (FoFP) is greatly concerned that the Council’s decision to delay the Cabinet Signing Meeting by one day—in response to FoFP’s initial objection—and subsequent pressure on stakeholders to make hasty submissions, to which officers could not realistically consider, does not discharge the Council’s requirement to consult about the multi-event park hire application (under Haringey’s Outdoor Events Policy).
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The Policy expressly requires “sufficient time” to consult “all” stakeholders and especially Friends Groups. We are concerned also that the proposed Decision makes no mention of the Full Council’s prior commitment (at 21 July 2025 Full Council meeting) to review its position in relation to use of permitted development rights for allowing major events (following the High Court’s ruling against Lambeth Council in May 2025 and subsequent ruling again against Lambeth this month, on 2 March 2026).
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We therefore call again for the consultation to be reissued to give all stakeholders a proper and sufficient time for response, and for consideration, in accordance with Haringey’s policy.
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To proceed as you propose, would in our opinion, reinforce our view that this would not meet the criteria for a meaningful consultation.
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Alternatively, we will seek legal advice to challenge Haringey’s disregard for its own policy and for stakeholders considered views.
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Yours sincerely,
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Gina Harkell
Katie Dawson
Joint Chairs
Friends of Finsbury Park
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Tags for Forum Posts: Andy Donald, Brockwell Park, Cabinet Member Signing, Emily Arkell, Festival Republic, Finsbury Park, Haringey Council, High Court, Live Nation, Peray Ahmet, More…Private Eye, Ticketmaster

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton 2 hours ago

I'm typing this before any knowledge of the outcome of this morning's decision about Finsbury Park.

So I very much hope to learn later that democracy has won the argument.

And that the principle of holding and respecting the outcome of local Council Borough elections has been viewed as crucially more important and vital than rushing through a five year contract involving a local park.

I hope that Cllr Peray Ahmet the Current Council Leader, in her own overnight reflections on this issue, would also have reached the same commonsense and wise conclusion.

A conclusion that there is no urgency and no emergency. That free and open local elections are more important and deserve more concern and respect than money; more concern and respect than people's taste in music; more concern and respect than any individuals' political careers.  

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