Forum Topic

Gunnersbury Park Events Licence - What do you think?

ATTENTION: Residents near Gunnersbury Park as well as park users - please read.http://ealingcommon.yourcllr.com/2017/07/25/gunnersbury-park-events-licence-what-do-you-think/A blanket events licence has been submitted for Gunnersbury Park. I have been allowed to speak at the licensing hearing. If you wish to be represented please get in touch (Hounslow Council require names and addresses of residents and businesses to be submitted prior to Monday's licensing hearing - so please email me on joanna.dabrowska@ealing.gov.uk or text me on 07988 992264 or indeed DM here).Thanks for readingCllr Joanna Dabrowska

Joanna Dabrowska ● 3340d19 Comments

I have objected to this as have many others. Thanks for speaking up for us. I have emailed you.

Susan Kelly ● 3340d

There is no mention of this on the Brentford TW8 website and I suspect that the residents of Brentford will be equally concerned and LBH are rather deft at not informing it's residents until a deal is done.So maybe someone who uses that particular site could also pots the notice?

Mark Kehoe ● 3339d

It is mentioned on the front page of the Brentford site but the story is quite far down now. It was published on 10 July and the deadline for comments was 12 July so quite a tight deadline. I thought Council's had to give more notice of important applications such as this one.

Helena Cavanagh ● 3339d

People living within earshot of the park were sent information about it well in advance.

Susan Kelly ● 3338d

If they are going to be holding events for 50,000 people being 'in earshot of the park' would take in a lot of West London.Did anyone attend the licensing meeting at which the application was discussed?

Andy Jones ● 3334d

I attended last night and spoke against the application.About 30-40 people turned up.The meeting started at 1930 and finished just short of midnight.The licensing panel will let us know of their decision within 5 working days. As soon I know I will publish it on my ward website ealingcommon.yourcllr.com

Joanna Dabrowska ● 3334d

The applicant's solicitor refused to answer who is paying his fees.Presuming the Council, being the applicant, has hired this solicitor to present the case on their behalf is using taxpayers' money to fund a solicitor.This is an unfair advantage on the Council side.Why is the council using taxpayers' money to fight residents who wish to protect a park?Why can't residents use taxpayers' funds to hire a solicitor?I am looking into the legals of this aspect and will be talking with my solicitor contacts, but if anyone here has legal knowledge and can look into this matter, I (and the residents) would be grateful.Cllr Joanna Dabrowskajoanna.dabrowska@ealing.gov.uk

Joanna Dabrowska ● 3334d

Is there a suggestion that Ealing Council is acting improperly?  Heaven forfend, surely not!  LOL

Tony Heath ● 3334d

Joanna, do the covenants placed on the park when it came into public ownership count for nothing?

Susan Kelly ● 3333d

Depends on the covenant, if they are restrictive or not. I don't have those covenants nor have I seen them.

Joanna Dabrowska ● 3333d

Which Council are we talking about here, Ealing or Hounslow?

Bob Little ● 3333d

Both.Rumour has it, and it is a rumour , but one that just won't go away is that Ealing and Hounslow have quietly attempted to engage lawyers to unpick the Covenant that left Gunnersbury park and it's outlying estate to the people of Brentford and Ealing. Not for the Corporations of Brentford Chiswick and Isleworth, Ealing & Acton.No doubt some preferred developer pals of certain council executives and the usual suspects will be quietly picking up the bill.Hounslow have already attempted to get part of the park developed along Lionel Road and failed. Followed by another attempt to lease off part of it to a private school.After attending a few meetings of it's governance a few years back I'm not convinced that it is fully safe in the hands of either authority.Whilst some long overdue renovation work is underway, I feel that it is only a matter of time before the payback scheme is hatched. It could well end up being a pay to use facility and exclusive to sponsors and members.One of the reasons the demise of a proper local paper with skilled and experienced journalists is now such a tragedy. It would never have been this easy to get away with this sort of stuff. If the Clay Cross scandal happened now it would probably not even make twitter.

Mark Kehoe ● 3332d

Don't really agree with it being easier to get away with chicanery these days. With the internet and FoI there are plenty of tools available for any citizen to monitor the activities of their local authority and plenty of channels for them to broadcast wrong-doing.The Lionel Road alienation and the public school plan for the Gunnersbury Mansion were widely covered in the press at the time and the recent events application was highlighted initially by this site so, whereas back in the day there may have been more resources for investigative reporting, the local press here does still seem to be functioning at at least a basic level.Personally I doubt there is a great conspiracy to be uncovered with regards to Gunnersbury Park. It has an active Friends group with some well informed and committed people who are quick to broadcast any concerns. That lawyers would be looking at the covenants is perfectly explicable given that the new facilities probably will want to have private hire events. For instance they could be looking at whether or not renting out the Large Mansion for weddings would be okay. With lottery funding and the refurbishment well under way it is not necessarily the time for complacency but it also may be wise to dismiss the wilder rumours about Council nefariousness.

Andy Jones ● 3332d

The covenants were designed to prevent the park being used for commercial purposes, which these events would clearly be.

Susan Kelly ● 3331d

I seem to remember that an entrance fee was charged for last years Mela, does that not contravene the rules of the covenant if the previous post is accurate?

Bob Little ● 3330d

I don't think it was an entrance fee, Bob: I think it was a parking fee. Given that we want as many people as possible to come by public transport, then stopping that is the last thing we need.

Susan Kelly ● 3329d

which is why we must not let this happen and I think they will try and change the covenants the park was left for the people not for someone to make a fast buck the next you will see is tower blocks going up and bit by bit the park will disappear and as you say there will be commercial buildings going up every where

Harold John Ward ● 3329d

No, there won't be tower blocks going up all over the park.This endless 'thin end of the wedge' argument is counter-productive.

Susan Kelly ● 3328d

can you guarantee that as Ealing council seems to do as they like

Harold John Ward ● 3328d