Amid protests about Brockwell Live.
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00:00Campaigners concerned that summer festivals are causing lasting harm to a South London park have taken legal action against the local council.
00:12Protect Brockwell Park claims that the popular green space is now being damaged beyond repair by major events like Brockwell Park Live, which attracts more than 285,000 visitors over a nine day period.
00:28The group, supported by ACTA and local resident Sir Mark Rylance, argues that these large gatherings harm the park's grass, trees and plant life for months, if not forever, is what they claim.
00:42Now, in response, Lambeth Council maintains that the event area is classified as low ecological sensitivity, grassland and that independent assessments found that no ecological damage from the festivals was being done.
00:57Despite this, Protect Brockwell Park, joined by eight other local organisations, has issued an open letter urging the local council to end what it describes as large scale unsustainable events that threaten the park's natural environment.
01:15They are also calling for a review of the permit granted for this year's Brockwell Live.
01:20Earlier this month, the group actually escalated its campaign by launching judicial review proceedings in the High Court, challenging the council's decision to even allow the event under permitted development rules.
01:37But what do Londoners think of festivals in parks? Should it be allowed or should parks just be a safe green space?
01:43Well, I've got no objection to the parks being used for festivals or any other events, community based events, you know, which benefit the local community.
01:53The other way I look at it is that councils are under such severe pressure financially now, particularly from central governments, that it's a way of generating income.
02:02And I think that's really important to the local rate players.
02:05I'm mildly biased myself just because I personally have a lot of frustrations with the wireless festival that comes here every year nowadays, just because I don't like I don't like there being a significant chunk of the year, especially during summer, when much of the park is inaccessible or difficult to navigate for like local residents and stuff like that.
02:22And I also really resent the, after the festival is gone, there's usually just like a massive patch of dead grass directly opposite the bowl where they set the festival stuff up.
02:32And that's extremely frustrating to deal with, especially because it takes a full year to recover and then it's just obliterated again.
02:37At the same time, I respect that like the park is an enormous venue and there's a lot of people who really appreciate like being able to come here for wireless.
02:44I think it's cool that wireless can exist.
02:46The organisers of the events really need to be environmentally conscious and to clear up after them and ensure that the parks are basically returned in a good state, you know?
02:59Yeah.