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 Jayvee on
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Good luck, I hope they win. BS they spent 400k improving that park. repairing the damage maybe. Please ban cars from entering while you're at it. Its ridiculous you can drive into the park
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The only people wringing their hands with glee will be the lawyers....
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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BBC News item: Finsbury Park group bid to stop Wireless Festival
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Permalink Reply by Pat on
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Brilliant. In the time of austerity, let's waste money on legal fees defending something that is enjoyed by thousands, including local residents, from a bunch of self-elected NIMBYs. How can I lodge an official objection against the so-called "friends". Half the park is still open during the very short festival period but hey lets spin the reality.
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Permalink Reply by Penny A on
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It's worth considering the damage that is wrecked on the park. Also the money to be spent on legal fees is crowd funded specifically so your argument doesn't really hold. However I think another bigger question is how the area (specifically Harringay) can handle the additional traffic. Last year was gridlocked from Sainsbury's car park and the Arena onto to Green Lanes. I imagine with our current traffic situation that this grid lock will completely shut down Green Lanes/Turnpike Lane and cause traffic back up to Muswell Hill, Crouch End and Highgate, not to mention F Park, Clissold Park, Highbury etc. The whole of Harringay will be landlocked and shut down. Surely this could be a Health and Safety issue. Woe betide anyone who needs emergency services anywhere on the Ladder, Wightman, Gardens, St Anne's etc. Surely Haringey Council has considered this???
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Not sure the council's legal costs are covered by crowd funding? Although that maybe something worth setting up so they don't waste tax payers money defending this case.
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We must agree to differ Jessica. In my view a lot of people do drive to this event and this was acknowledged by the traffic marshalls dealing with the gridlock around Harringay Arena/Sainsbury's last year. I hope I'm wrong but I predict chaos.
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I'm fully aware of my London address, I am a native Londoner and have lived in Harringay raising my family and enjoying my neighbourhood for 23 years. I am positive, I just ask the question whether the council has considered these events in the context of the current traffic challenges which is a reasonable thing to do!!
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I'm not predicting chaos and mayhem, I'm simply asking reasonable questions given Harringay's reputation for traffic!
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Yes Jessica I saw that
, but I confess to finding your style rather personally aggressive! We are both members of HoL and I think near neighbours, it's a shame if we can't have a discussion without biting and the truth of course will be somewhere in the middle! -
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Permalink Reply by HoL Site Admin on
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I think as Penny says, its perhaps best just to agree to differ!
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