Top London music festivals face cancellation after group backed by actor Mark Rylance wins court row to stop events
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
SOME of London's biggest festivals face an uncertain future after residents won a court battle to block a major park from hosting events.
Backed by Oscar winning actor Mark Rylance, the campaign has ordered the council to confirm that events will be cancelled this summer.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
6
Festivals like Brockwell Live and the Mighty Hoopla might be banned from going ahead
Credit: Alamy
6
Lambeth residents have won a court case surrounding Brockwell Park
Credit: Getty Images
6
The campaign was backed by Mark Rylance
Credit: Alamy
Brockwell Park in Lambeth has long been a popular site for some of the UK's biggest festivals.
Hundreds of thousands of Brits flock to the park every summer to attend events including Mighty Hoopla - which was set to host both Kesha and Jade Thirwall this year.
However, residents decided to fight back against the festivals after the park was left in a state they described as a 'mud-bath'.
Rebekah Shaman, a member of the Protect Brockwell park group, successfully brought legal action against Lambath Council over the use of the area for events season - which kicks off on May 23.
Read More on UK News
URGENT HUNT More sightings of 'naked man at popular beach' after he 'chased shocked woman'
The High Court was told that the challenge was over the council's decision to certify the use of the land as lawful, since a change of the park's use is allowed for 28 days per year.
Mr Justice Mold rule in Rebekah's favour, since the park would be used as an event space for more than 28 days.
Now, events such as Brockwell Live and the Mighty Hoopla could be banned from setting up in the park.
Rebekah and her lawyers wrote a letter addressed to the council which asked if the 'event has been cancelled' and ordered them to clear any fencing or infrastructure.
The draft letter from Goodenough Ring solicitors said that Brockwell Live does not have planning permission and cannot benefit from permitted development rights, and that a planning application could not be decided for at least three weeks.
The letter read: "It follows that not only do the Brockwell Live events not have planning permission, but permission cannot be obtained until after they are concluded.'
It continued: "As there is no planning permission for the Brockwell Live event, the event has to be cancelled."
Billy McFarland Quits Fyre Fest: Festival Brand Put Up for Sale After Second Attempt Fails
Goodenough Ring has asked for a response by 10am on May 19.
A Lambeth Council spokesperson responded by saying: "We are currently assessing the impact of this judgement and determining next steps."
The court ruling recieved a cheer from Dunkirk actor Mark Rylance.
6
Residents took Lambeth Council to London's High Court
Credit: PA Media
6
Residents have complained that the festival's infrastructure damages the park
Credit: Getty Images
The Oscar nominated performer said: 'Wonderful news. Brockwell park will be open to all for free again this summer. No walls. No trucks.
'The grass, and trees, and plants will have a chance to recover from the years of abuse.
'Now let's help revive the beloved Lambeth country fair as it used to be, open to all. Congratulations to all who worked so devotedly to achieve this decision.
'Every small victory for nature makes a difference.'
However, the event's cancellation is a blow to London's beleaguered events industry.
Critics of residents' associations have said that noise complaints have led to the closure of several major London locations.
However, in April, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan was awarded increased powers to protect the capital's pubs.
The Mayor will be able to block councils and residents from shutting down late-night pub and club openings.
The increased powers had support from Chancellor Rachel Reeves who said that 'unnecessarily burdensome red tape' was choking London's events industry.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Female party boat organiser plunges into sea as mass Brit tourist brawl erupts after rowdy thugs are booted off vessel
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THIS is the dramatic moment a boat party organiser ends up in the sea during a mass brawl in Ibiza. The wild scene, filmed by a shocked bystander, is said to have forced the party boat to cancel its scheduled trip. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Two men break into a fight on the dock near where the party boat is moored Credit: Solarpix 5 One man takes a plunge after being punched and pushed by another man Credit: Solarpix 5 The man then jumps into another fight - and a woman ends up in the water Credit: Solarpix Shocking footage from the Ibizan party resort of San Antonio showed an unidentified man pushing and punching another into the water before getting involved in another fight further along the dock. A woman, described locally as the party organiser, also unexpectedly ended up in the water. A witness posted the video on TikTok, with the title: 'English people in Ibiza' before adding, 'English people are so problematic'. When asked by other users how she knew their nationality, the witness replied: 'Because I was there.' A Brit in the comments added: 'English people are very educated, we are not all the same,' which the witness acknowledged was true. On Sunday, another explosive fight broke out in the same resort at the popular Marco Polo hotel. In the shocking footage, a man can be seen throwing a flying chair onto a woman's head as she's in the pool. A group of lifeguards and security attempt to intervene, but their efforts amount to nothing as the man is seen ignoring them. In May, an easyJet passenger was left petrified after a group of rowdy "drunk" Brits turned her Ibiza flight into a "nightclub". Spaniard Erika Barrachina claimed she suffered a "panic attack" after having to cope with "scum" passengers. Shocking moment chair-tossing pool brawl erupts at Ibiza hotel with tourist bashed in head and knocked into water In a no-holds-barred message alongside a video of the packed plane where passengers could be seen banging on luggage compartments above them and yelling: "Come on Ibiza", the Spanish speaker said: 'My flight from London to Ibiza was absolutely horrible. 'I was scared. A plane full of real English animals. 'Everyone standing, screaming, guys hitting each other, drinking bottles of alcohol one after the other and stopping the flight attendants from doing their job. Real hell. 'This video is the just the end because I couldn't film what happened during the journey. 'Before boarding the plane they were drunk and high. Taking pills and drinking alcohol at the same time, which I saw with my own eyes." She added: 'We don't want this type of tourism in Ibiza, they should stay at home." It comes as locals in Ibiza took part in an anti-tourist demonstration just over a week ago. 8,000 people took to the streets in the Majorcan capital Palma. Around 100 people with drums surrounded upmarket eatery Cappuccino Borne next to a McDonald's in the centre of Palma after their protest finished. Police moved in to ease tension as the demonstrators held up cardboard posters reading: 'As You Come I Have To Go.' The protestors also chanted 'The Streets Will Always Be Ours', Go Home' in English and 'No Balconing' in reference to the young tourists who have dangerously jumped from hotel balconies into swimming pools or tried to climb between balconies under the influence of alcohol and drugs. 5 Protesters shout anti-tourism slogans at tourists at a bar in Palma Credit: REUTERS/Francisco Ubilla
Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Our celeb-packed hotspot is now ghost town with just one shoe shop – tourists used to flock here but it's unrecognisable
The town has been described as "dead" and that its vibrancy has gone DOWN TOWN Our celeb-packed hotspot is now ghost town with just one shoe shop – tourists used to flock here but it's unrecognisable ONCE a celebrity-packed hotspot, residents have now described their home as a ghost town with just one shoe shop. Tourists used to flock there but the town is now unrecognisable following the pandemic. 5 Once a celebrity-packed hotspot, residents have now described their home as a ghost town with just one shoe shop Credit: Alamy 5 Newsagent Sangita Patel reckons she takes half what she did when tourists flocked to the town 5 Salon owner Camille Perry and fiancee Zack would do 'blow dry after blow dry' at Towie's height Brentwood, which is close to London and the M25, has become less attractive to visitors post-pandemic, leading residents to describe the town as 'dead'. Emma Louise-Brookes, who runs The Dressing Room Brentwood, a boutique bikini shop, has explained that the high street has been hit hard by the pandemic. She has noticed severe drops in footfall as rising rent and rates leave numerous shops vacant reported Essex Live. She said: "Footfall has dropped dramatically, no one is coming to Brentwood, and small independent shops like mine are really struggling." Local resident Simon Cross agrees that Brentwood's decline has seen an increase since COVID-19 struck. He explained: "Brentwood is still a pleasant place to live, but it's missing the vibrancy it once had." Simon added that Brentwood used to be bustling due to the fame brought by The Only Way is Essex. He said: "Tourists used to flock here, and the High Street was thriving! But now, that buzz is gone." Sangita Patel, owner of Newstime newsagents with husband Prajay since 2010, says Brentwood became a ghost town when Towie fans stopped coming. Agreeing with those thoughts, Gene Gravell noted that Brentwood remains a lovely town but it has lost much of its commercial diversity, which she misses. Our posh village is now ghost town strewn with empty homes She explained: "We've only got one shoe shop, and all the quirky independent shops are gone. "I think six businesses opened in the High Street in the past six months, but they were all restaurants, and I don't think we need more eateries - we need more diverse shops." In a public Facebook group other residents echoed these concerns when a new café recently announced its opening. One poster said: "No more cafes. We need shops to help the residents and visitors." Why are retailers closing stores? RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis. High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going. However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector. The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." It comes after almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024. End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains such as Homebase and Ted Baker. It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date. This was up 49,990 – an increase of 41.9% – compared with 2023. It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns. The centre said 38 major retailers went into administration in 2024, including household names such as Lloyds Pharmacy, Homebase, The Body Shop, Carpetright and Ted Baker. Around a third of all retail job losses in 2024, 33% or 55,914 in total, resulted from administrations. Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes. Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020." Another remarked: "How about some clothes shops. Brentwood high street used to be lovely." While a third added: "What about shoe's and clothes??? No more bloody food places." One resident is concerned about the town's increasing population due to ongoing housing developments. She explained: "When I first arrived, there was a lot of greenery, but now, a lot of the green land is being sold off for houses, so I think Brentwood is becoming overpopulated." Other residents had concerns about safety issues which they believed were on the rise in the town. Simon shared: "It doesn't feel as safe as it once did, but I still live here because the location is ideal for commuting to London." Hasan Ellis said: "I've only been here a year, and I was jumped by two boys just outside a pub, two weeks ago." However, Brentwood remains a good choice for community living among other residents. Angel Fofana explained the local diversity and friendliness was important and said: "The diversity and friendliness of the people make this a wonderful place to live. "I love the culture here, and the peaceful atmosphere makes it a great place to raise children." Agreeing, Kate Goddard said: "We could use more shops, but overall, it's a nice, safe area, and everyone here is very friendly." In June 2023, Brentwood, Shenfield and Ingatestone businesses voted to create a unique Business Improvement District (BID) that secured a significant £2m to be spent on improving High Streets over a five-year term. The Brentwood Connected BID was the first in the UK to incorporate three high streets in one Business Improvement District. Brentwood Borough council supported this with free Sunday parking and discounted parking all week in the multi-storey car park. They are also beginning a programme of audit and investment into community infrastructure such as street signs, benches and bins to enhance our High Streets and the entire local community. The Sun has contacted Brentwood Borough Council for any response. 5 Amy Childs had a salon in the town before shutting up shop
Wales Online
3 hours ago
- Wales Online
Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz's relationship as Wimbledon icon drops four-word comment
Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz's relationship as Wimbledon icon drops four-word comment Conchita Martinez has high hopes for the relationship between Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz who are set to team up for the US Open Mixed Doubles tournament later this summer Carlos Alcaraz will team up with Emma Raducanu at the US Open mixed doubles event (Image:for LTA ) The partnership of Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz will be an exciting one as the pair are set to team up for the US Open Mixed Doubles tournament. That's according to former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez who sounded off on the on-court pairing of two of tennis' biggest stars. In what is a new initiative by the major, nine of the world's top-10 women and nine of the world's top-10 men will break off into pairs in the event prior to the US Open singles tournament. The Spaniard - who is fresh off winning the HSBC Championships on Sunday - is in red-hot form and has won 17 matches in a row, including his historic French Open triumph over world No. 1 Jannik Sinner earlier this month. Raducanu, 22, has been a more active player on the WTA Tour this year after a period of significant injury issues and will compete on Tuesday in the Lexus Eastbourne Open in her final preparation for Wimbledon later this month. Given the pair have always maintained a friendship, it hasn't been much of a surprise that they've decided to team up at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center which Martinez believes will result in exciting tennis to be produced. Emma Raducanu was in attendance to watch Carlos Alcaraz reach the final of the HSBC Championships (Image: Luke Walker, Getty Images for LTA ) Article continues below Speaking to BoyleSports, the tennis legend said: "It's certainly a very exciting couple. They admire each other a lot. They're going to be fun to watch and to see the great energy that Carlos has to bring to the table. They get along great and they're going to be very exciting for sure." Alcaraz revealed that their partnership was his doing as he said he approached Raducanu with the idea to which she accepted. "I'm super excited about it," the five-time major champion said. "I think it's going to be great. It was an amazing idea for the tournament. I was thinking that I couldn't play better if it wasn't with Emma. "I just asked Emma if she wants to play doubles with me. Yeah, I made that special request. She took a while to respond. Not that much, not that much! But obviously she had to ask, and she had to think a little bit. But it wasn't a minute! "I have known Emma for a really long time. I have a really good relationship with her. We are gonna enjoy it for sure. We will try to win. But obviously it's going to be really, really fun." The Spaniard captured a fifth title of the season on Sunday when he defeated Jiri Lehecka to win the HSBC Championship (Image: Getty Images for LTA ) The chemistry between the tennis stars already was on show recently after Raducanu attended Alcaraz's semi-final victory over Roberto Bautista Agut at the HSBC Championships. Article continues below Following the victory over his compatriot, a smiling Alcaraz spoke of his delight in seeing his partner support him. "I saw on social media she came up to watch my match," he said. "I'm just glad. I mean, I was focused on the match. I didn't see her afterwards. I am just glad that she came to support me, to watch my match. Yeah, I think it was great having her in the stands." They'll certainly have their work cut out for them with teams such as Jannik Sinner and Emma Navarro, Olga Danilovic and Novak Djokovic, Zheng Qinwen and Jack Draper and more all in contention.
