Political row erupts over council's five-year Wireless Festival deal for Finsbury Park

Labour administration blocks attempt by opposition Lib Dems to challenge decision to award festival five-year deal, reports Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

Council leader Peray Ahmet (inset left) and opposition leader Luke Cawley-Harrison (inset right) have clashed over Wireless Festival (credit credit Abigail Lynn via Unsplash)

Haringey Council has been accused of dodging scrutiny of its deal to allow Wireless Festival and other major events to take place in Finsbury Park for five years.

Opposition Liberal Democrats made the claim after their bid to call-in the decision to the council’s overview and scrutiny committee was turned down on what they said was a “technicality”.

Under council rules, only key decisions – those that involve significant spending or impacts on communities in two or more wards – can be called in.

The council says the decision to award the five-year deal to Wireless promoter Festival Republic, which was signed off by leader Peray Ahmet last week following a consultation with local stakeholders, could not be called in because it was classed as ‘non-key’.

But the Lib Dems claim the decision met both of the criteria, saying it was “difficult to believe” that the council had agreed to hire out the park for less than £500,000, and the fact that reports included exempt information indicated “significant financial terms” were involved.

Opposition members pointed out that the council’s equalities impact assessment was carried out on an area covering both Harringay and Stroud Green wards, claiming that previous decisions relating to Finsbury Park had been classed as key “due to the impact on multiple wards”.

The Lib Dems cited multiple grounds for a call-in, including insufficient public consultation and co-ordination with stakeholders, environmental impact, a smaller financial benefit and concerns that the council was “ignoring established law including the 1906 Open Spaces Act”.

But the council rejected the call-in, insisting that it was right to class the decision as ‘non-key’. Responding to the Lib Dems, it said its position that the hiring out of Finsbury Park did not lead to significant savings or expenditure was upheld by a 2016 court ruling.

The council added that Finsbury Park lies within the whole of Harringay ward, and that there is “some impact” on only part of Stroud Green ward.

Acknowledging that there is “strong local feeling from a section of the community”, the council said there was “active engagement” and stakeholders “had an opportunity to feedback and their views”, which were “considered and responded to in the report”.

The council claimed the impacts of the events “are not significant and have no lasting effect” given their “short duration” during the year.

Lib Dem leader Luke Cawley-Harrison said the events deal should continue on a yearly basis, with decisions made by “a trust made up of key representatives, not the council who are just looking out for their own bottom line”.

He added: “What’s worse, when we attempted to ‘call in’ the decision last week, requesting it goes back to the council’s scrutiny committee to be reviewed, the council determined the decision was ‘non key’ using a technicality – so the committee isn’t allowed to look at it.

“And this was a decision originally taken by the leader behind closed doors with no opportunity for councillors or residents to attend, and no public consultation. So much for the ‘Haringey deal’ which claimed the council was now ‘doing things together’.”

Update (30th June):

Council leader Peray Ahmet said the new contract with Festival Republic would bring in “significant funds” to help manage and improve the park, as well as an opportunity for residents “to access world-class music and culture in an affordable and sustainable way”.

She added that “recognised stakeholders” had been consulted before making the decision, which was designated non-key “in line with our constitution”.

Cllr Ahmet said the £1.2million raised every year from our events had enabled the council to make “significant improvements”.

The council leader continued: “This includes installing the new inclusive Richard Hope Play Space, which was finalised earlier this year, equipping the park with new street lighting, installing air quality monitoring stations and working with the Friends of the Park to improve and expand the skate park.

“We’re particularly pleased that this long-term agreement will see two community events taking place which will give residents the chance to come together and celebrate our amazing local musicians. I look forward to seeing and speaking with residents at Finsbury Fest and Finsbury Park’s Schools Summer Festival this year – and for many years to come.”

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