Gunnersbury Park Granted A Licence To Host Public Events
Hounslow Council in favour of more commercial events to raise funds
Image - Maggi Marmion
Hounslow Council has granted a licence to Gunnersbury Park to host commercial events, but has put a limit of four per year of Special Events of more than 10,000 people.
Not all residents are happy about the outcome with Ealing & Acton Conservative councillors threatening to appeal the decision and some locals saying it will result in noise and disruption and that Councils should not be using public parks to raise money.
This Premises Licence replaces a previous one which was voluntarily suspended in 2016 in order to apply for a new Premises Licence which Hounslow Council says more fully reflects its Leisure and Cultural Strategy "to maximise the Borough's potential to provide cultural opportunities."
The Council wants the Park to raise money by hosting commercial events, following its restoration. The Council said:
"Although London Borough of Hounslow is seeking to maximise Gunnersbury Park's potential as a cultural venue, a maximum limit to the number of days this licence can be utilised will be set at: 283.
Scale: Events will be categorised based on the number of people that will be on site at any one time. As follows:
• Small Events: No more than 499 people on site at any one time. Limited to 28 per calendar year
• Medium Events: No more than 5,000 people on site at any one time. ( Limited to 10 per year)
• Large Events: No more than 10,000 people on site at any one time.( Limited to 5 per year)
• Special Events: More than 10,000 people on site at any one time (limited to 4 per year)
•Combination of Large and Special Events will not exceed 8 days.
•Combination of Medium, Large and Special Events not to exceed 10 days.
•Combination of Small, Medium, Large and Special Events not to exceed 28 days.
The management of Gunnersbury Park had been planning to use the facilities for outdoor public events, including possible music concerts.
This does not necessarily mean large scale events will be taking place on a regular basis although the likelihood is that there will have to be some commercial events, large or small, to help the facility pay its way.
A draft Events Policy is currently being finalised and some useful information and background on the matter can be read here with regard to plans for community, charity and commercial events of varying sizes.
It was known that the plans for the area, currently undergoing a huge restoration project, would have to include commercial options as part Phase 2 in its development.
The park is owned jointly by Hounslow and Ealing Councils and run by a Community Interest Company (CIC), whose purpose is to run Gunnersbury for the benefit of the community.
The park has hosted large events before including the London Mela which is due to take place again this year in September.
The Friends of Gunnersbury published an update for members of the public a few months ago on the current restoration project, which includes information on the current building works and the need for commercial options in future.
Gunnersbury Park and Museum is currently being restored with a variety of grant aid from Heritage Lottery, (£51 million) both local authorities, (Hounslow and Ealing) and Historic England.
In the 1760s the estate was purchased and held in trust for Princess Amelia,
the favoured daughter of King George II.
Gunnersbury was the venue of her new summer retreat away from the pollution
of central London.
A major redevelopment of the sports and leisure facilities in Gunnersbury
Park is also underway.
The proposal is to build a two-storey Sports Hub building with basement on the redundant’ bowling green (between the car park and the children's playground). This will contain a 5 court sports hall, multi-use studios and associated changing facilities, cafe community room, archive store and office accommodation.
Sports Hub building will be on the site of the bowling green
Tennis courts will be laid out with floodlighting which will also illuminate the artificial grass pitches. There will be an out-door gym, distance markers and a trim trail to help people use the park for exercise.
Gunnersbury Park Sports Hub
August 9, 2017