Wireless Festival to go ahead as Friends of Finsbury Park loses High Court bid

Considering appeal: Tom Palin of Friends of Finsbury Park

Wireless Festival to go ahead as a High Court judge yesterday threw out a legal bid by local campaigners to ban it.

The High Court hearing took place to determine if Wireless Festival was to go ahead, following legal action brought by the Friends of Finsbury Park (FOFP).

The campaigners’ case was dismissed on all grounds.

FOFP claimed the council did not have the authority to allow a festival the size of Wireless to be held in a public park.

The group’s solicitor, Susan Ring, had identified an article in the Greater London Parks and Open Spaces Act (1967) that states that open park space enclosed for entertainment may not exceed “one acre or one tenth of the open space”.

Pleased: Cllr Peray Ahmet, mabinet member for environment

Cllr Peray Ahmet, Haringey council’s cabinet member for environment, said: “We are pleased with today’s ruling, which means that large scale live music events in Finsbury Park and open spaces across London are no longer under threat.

“Events like Wireless make a huge contribution to London’s cultural scene and in Haringey bring in hundreds of thousands of pounds which is spent improving our parks and attracting more visitors.

“We will continue to work with residents and event organisers to ensure the Wireless festival is safe and enjoyable for all.”

The council also pointed out that events such as Wireless last year funded £400,000 worth of improvements to Finsbury Park.

Dust to dust: Finsbury Park after previous Wireless Festival. Photograph: Friends of Finsbury Park

Responding to the High Court’s judgment, the chair of the Friends of Finsbury Park, said: “Yesterday the judge, Mr Justice Supperstone, granted permission for judicial review on all grounds but then dismissed the claim for reasons that he is to provide in his judgment, which is to follow.

“The Friends believe that the judge was wrong to dismiss the claim. In holding that [Haringey] council had the power to exclude the public from more than 10 per cent of the park and for more than 12 days in a year or six consecutive days in a year, this decision has set a terrible precedent for the nation’s parks.

“The council submitted to the court that it can essentially do what it likes with the park – it could in theory exclude the public from as much of the park and for as many days as it saw fit.

“Should such a council be the guardian of such an important and necessary public open space?

We will carry on our fight and are now considering an appeal.”

Wireless festival will take place 8 – 10 July 2016.