Forum topic: Funfairs and circus in Broomfield Park

A recent local press article highlighted a Court of Appeal ruling that, under the Open Spaces Act 1906, money raised by Haringey council from the hire of Finsbury Park can only be spent on Finsbury Park and cannot be spent elsewhere. Music and other events in Finsbury Park apparently raised £600k of Haringey’s £750k total, contributing towards the boroughs £1.2m total parks budget.

Implications could be a “need” for more events in more parks or a big overall parks budget shortfall or some other such as park privatisation. Haringey council were scheduled to discuss implications.

Through Broomfield, and other than the big money pit in the centre with scaffolding around it, I think we’re relatively very well placed in Enfield’s total parks portfolio and spreading a little event raised cash around to help other parks doesn’t seem so unreasonable to me. Noise and disturbance issues aside, no chance of me being a judge then.

Thanks, Karl, and noted too regarding the various comments about raising much needed funds for both Broomfield Park and Enfield's green spaces.

Despite my own reservations regarding both the fair and the circus, it is not the holding of events in the park per se that I object to, it is however that these event cause so much disturbance for local residents. Is playing music integral to the circus and the overall experience? Undoubtedly. But is it necessary to have the bass so heavy and the music so loud that it can be heard 200 yards away through highly insulated double glazing? I don't think so. Nor does the music need to go on until 9.45pm as it did on several evenings during this latest circus visit.

I note from the most recent posting on this page (Friends of Broomfield Park updates on current projects) that 'The park has been categorised as a Large Park. This means that there will be more events held in the park.' It is, therefore to my mind, doubly important that local residents are (a) consulted as per the Council's Parks Strategy (b) that funds raised are used to directly benefit the park and local area and (c) that the events are considerate to locals, meaning that noise pollution and disturbance are kept to a minimum.

I have received a response to my email to local councillor Daniel Anderson and he has said that he has received several complaints and will be investigating. I will of course be following up on this matter so it doesn't languish in his in-tray.

Just to add the taking down of said circus with engines of their massive trucks going until nearly midnight last night so much so one can not open the windows as so loud. It is just not on .

Lets hope these councillors listen, we have received a reply from one of the councillors stating they will look into it.
By all accounts the circus did not have a permit in advance and pitched up and then got the licence - taking the mick if you ask me
Spotted by residents was one of the motorcyclists from the fair riding around the park with a child on the back with no helmets on !!!
The thought of the fair coming for bank holiday weekend in August with pay now for the next ride repeated every 5 mins fills me with dread. Bascially it means I cannot enjoy my garden or have people over .
Also spotted last time the fair was here were gang members from Wood Green, tell me Palmers Green do you want these people in your back yard??? Rotate the fairs and circuses so it is not always Broomfield Park which takes the brunt of all of this
Hats of to the park keepers who cleaned the park up as it was trashed after the last fair and made it beautiful again within 24hrs they are amazing.

Confess to being a tad concerned on the back of all these comments as we really ramp up our time and effort in prep for the PG festival on 2nd September. If there are related issues then do flag them up soonest so we can look to manage them out, otherwise consider helping, or donating, or offering something useful to assist! It's a big project.

Karl, I can only speak for myself, but I attended the PG Festival last year and found it to be an excellent event, largely because it speaks to the values that I think (and hope that the community at large) hold dear, namely:

a.) Not to sound too ‘League of Gentlemen’ about it, but it is a local event for locals.
b.) The events / stalls are for good and support the local economy and businesses.
c.) It is well marshalled and organised and not a noisy / late night event.
d.) Taken from the PG Festival website, there is a focus on creating a stronger, healthier community and promoting healthier lifestyles.
e.) It is free and encourages community spirit.

The fair / circus do none of these things. The Enfield Council Park Strategy may say that the local economy is boosted but these events are ‘self contained’ - they come in trailers, trash the park, make noise and disturbance and move on the whichever town has the misfortune to see them next. The PG Festival is the antithesis to the fair/circus and thus I think it is both welcome and to be supported.

As per my last, events in the park are to be welcomed, but not at the expense of residents wellbeing and excessive pollution in whatever form (noise, crime, litter) that may take.

I should also add that I received a response from the local councillor (copy to Bambos Charamboulos) as follows. I’m yet to respond but thought I’d share:

Hi Simon.

I have now had an opportunity to discuss this situation with officers.

Firstly, with regards to noise levels, our Environmental Health Team will look to develop a plan of action to monitor music levels at events where there is cause for concern in future. Large-scale events will include this in the event management plan, but this is not a current requirement for smaller events and is something that itself needs reviewing.

Secondly, regarding any damage, as with all large/major events including funfairs and circus’s we do require a bond be paid in advance of the event should there be any damages/remaining litter. Officers will be visiting the site post the event and should there be any damage within the park or on route nearby the park remedial works will be undertaken and recharged to the event organiser.

Thirdly, with regards to the Parks Event Strategy (2017-2022), which you refer to and the point about consultation or lack of it in this instance. The Strategy states that a consultation process will be undertaken when anynew large/major events are planned and, in addition, should any such events require a premises licence the licence application will itself form part of a consultation exercise.

However, given that this particular funfair and circus are long-standing events in the park a consultation exercise was not therefore undertaken. I appreciate that this is a technicality, but it also raises a genuine point in that if residents and park users don’t keep track of the events programme on the Council’s website they will not have any advance notification, which is clearly unacceptable. Given this position, it has been agreed that the policy will be reviewed to look at opportunities to place advance details of proposed events within the Park.

Fourthly, as regards to the location within the park, the circus was previously held at the Cannon Hill Side of the park, but due to park improvements, i.e. the planting of a tree avenue, discussions took place in 2017 with the Friends Group to relocate the funfair to the area adjacent to the playground. However, in view of the complaints received this position will now be revisited with the organiser to see if there are other areas within the park where the circus could be relocated to minimise the impact on local residents.

Finally, in addition - and perhaps overriding all the above - there is a need to review our operating processes for all events and officers have been tasked with prioritising this so that we can ensure all new events for next season fit within the new protocol. It may well be the cons of such events as the circus outweigh any benefits and that will be a key consideration.

Kind regards.

Daniel

This topic has ben well covered, but just to add that there has been a lot of heated discussion amongst neighbours in Broomfield Avenue (backing onto the park) of the torturing noise over two long weekends this month.

I was living in the road 10 years ago, when the level of disruption to neighbours from fairgrounds boiled over and there was a major protest involving all residents surrounding the park. After much action from officers and members there was for several years greater consideration for local residents.

In the past two or three years however the fairgrounds have grown both in the number of large rides and the noise volume of their output. Over this recent weekend a circus, previously sited in the West Field, has been another noise nuisance.

I don’t think that anyone is against Broomfield Park being used for events, but more consideration should be given to the adjacency of residents, who have to bear repetitious, intrusive and disruptive noise over long holiday weekends. At these times it is very difficult to use back gardens during afternoons or evenings. For families this is particularly disruptive.

If this was a neighbour creating a nuisance over extended periods they would be served with an ASBO.

The drive towards making parks more commercially oriented may make this month’s experience portentous of worse things to come. Inaction over residents’ concerns will lead to (avoidable) criticism of the Council.

It looks like members are now onto the issue, but why does it take complaint to get action and is this sort of thing not obviously going to cause a nuisance if located within a few metres of residential properties?

"we do require a bond be paid in advance of the event should there be any damages/remaining litter"

Doesn't really work though, does it, when circus people get away with just turning up and applying for a licencen retrospectively once they've already started setting up.

Big fan of Dan Anderson, he's a great engager and genuinely passionate for our area, hopefully we have more rigorous oversight in the future.

Really looking forward to PG Fest too, echoing the positive comments above.