Cash-strapped councils are increasingly hiring out their green spaces to festivals, an expert has warned, blocking them off from residents for weeks at a time, damaging grass and causing congestion.
Councils were “more desperate than ever” to attract commercial income to supplement their reduced budgets after a pandemic hiatus, risking making public parks “more exclusive and more elitist” in the process.
Community groups have raised concerns about lack of access for local people during the recent unprecedented heatwave and the school holidays.
Andrew Smith, professor of urban experiences at the University of Westminster, said there now seemed to be more festivals in some parts of the country than before the pandemic.
A big factor driving this, he said, was that festival organisers were trying to make up for the financial shortfalls of 2020 and 2021, while local authorities needed to generate commercial income amid tightening budgets.
“Festivals are back and back in earnest, and some of the issues associated with them are back as well,” he said. “Lots of people complaining, lots of people worried about restricted access to their parks over the summer months.”
According to a Local Government Association (LGA) report, parks suffered a “devastating loss of income” due to the pandemic, with some forecast to lose as much as £8.8m in 2020/21.
On Tuesday, the Guardian reported that local authorities in England were spending nearly £330m less a year in real terms on parks and open spaces than they were a decade ago, with the most deprived areas experiencing the deepest cuts.
While the picture varies nationally, the issue is especially prevalent in London, said Smith. Other affected cities include Newcastle, Bristol and Nottingham.
Some park friends organisations, such as the Friends of Finsbury Park in north London, which hosted Wireless festival in July, have called for large events to be stopped entirely. In east London, Victoria Park Friends have written to Tower Hamlets council requesting that All Points East, which started last Friday, be held outside the school summer holidays.
According to analysis of the festival market by the Association of Independent Festivals, of the 194 festivals with a capacity of 5,000 or more people, about 10% are in metropolitan areas, either in parks or city-based venues.
Paul Reed, the association’s CEO, said: “My sense this year is that there is slightly more activity in parks than pre-Covid, with promoters launching new shows, expanding existing ones and adding extra days.
“Covid was financially devastating for our sector. Over half of UK festivals have not been operational since 2019 and this is the first full season since the pandemic.”
Festivals continue to face extremely challenging trading conditions this summer, he said, amid supply chain and staffing shortages, cost increases of 25% to 35% and the impact of the cost of living crisis on audiences.
Despite increases in some areas, others have seen cancellations. In Newcastle, This Is Tomorrow festival cancelled this year’s event in Exhibition Park, citing “an oversaturated market and an ongoing economic crisis”.
While rates vary, it is understood that councils can earn as much as £500,000 for a weekend festival for 50,000 people, and that some charge a day rate of £250,000.
Some of the big London parks are understood to earn more than £1m a year from hosting festivals.
Some parks, Smith said, are now entirely self-financed through festivals, which while “good in many ways … comes with lots of downsides” by effectively turning them into event venues.
A large portion of those who attend ticketed festivals often come from outside the park’s local authority or even city, while many residents cannot afford the cost of a ticket, which can cost in excess of £100.
With fewer free festivals, parks run the risk, he said, of becoming “more exclusive and more elitist”. He called for greater transparency over how much councils charge and where the money goes.
Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, chair of the LGA’s culture, tourism and sport board, said: “Any income earned from a council-run event is reinvested into other public services, such as the council arts budget, and events bring other benefits such as improving mental health and boosting pride of place.
“Balancing the immediate needs of residents, including condition of parks as a result of the droughts, alongside the wider benefits to communities from having these events, is something that councils consider carefully.”
Tower Hamlets council said All Points East, which runs from 19-28 August, was permitted under its major events policy and approved by its cabinet, which allows up to 10 events a year in Victoria Park, and that festival organisers were required to submit their dates in advance each year.
A spokesperson said: “The council’s major events programme brings much needed income to support the upkeep of our parks and council services and provides a range of benefits. AEG Presents provide four free-to-access community event days, In the Neighbourhood, which include a number of local artists, cultural and community groups for families to enjoy.”
Haringey council said events at Finsbury Park bring “world-class music and entertainment” for Haringey residents and visitors, unite communities after Covid, help fund park improvements and benefit local businesses.
“We will always take on board the views of our residents and there are a number of issues to consider around these events including how we get people in and out of the area, how we work with the joint boroughs and respect the local area,” said councillor Julie Davies, cabinet member for communities and civic life.
A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesperson said: “Councils are responsible for granting permission and they must consider the impact on the local community and environment when doing so.
“The government fully recognises the importance of parks and that is why we recently launched the £9m Levelling Up Parks Fund which will create over 100 new and improved parks in urban areas, increasing access to green space for those who need it most.”
