Event Name / Lambeth Country Show 2012
1. EVENT OVERVIEW
Introduction
The Lambeth Country Show is normally held on the third weekend of July each year in Brockwell Park and is one of London’s biggest free family festivals. With its mix of live music, traditional countryside pursuits and fun competitions, the show has taken place between (11am to 7pm) over that weekend. In 2010, more than 180,000people enjoyed the event over the weekend. The show is split into zones providing visitors with the opportunity to get involved with everything from Zumba dancing in Cultivate, rock climbing, totrying various culinary treats from around the world that the food stalls have on offer. The Farm zone brings the country to the city with animals and live interactive demonstrations, owl displays and live shows in the main arena. Due to the reasons set out within this report the Council is proposing the postponement of the July 2012 Country Show until September 2012. Whilst the rescheduled event will maintain many of the characteristics of the Country Show, the proposal is to deliver a smaller event that will take account of the move to September 2012.
Events Protocols
Following consultation with Friends of Parks Groups, Management Advisory Groups, Councillors, Statutory Partners and a joint summit held with the Lambeth Parks and Opens Forum the Council on 21st November 2011 approved new protocols for the consideration and delivery of all events in the borough’s parks and open spaces. Regardless of the applicant, all events are treated in the same way.
These protocols include a series of assessments, including safety, policy and resourcing. If a proposed event does not pass these assessments it will be rejected. The applicant will be informed and then the applicant may amend and resubmit or withdraw their application for their proposed event.
Lambeth Country Show 2012
The intention is to postpone the July 2012 Country Show for the following reasons:
· Impact and stretch on the resources of the emergency services in the run up and during the Olympics that includes the threat of terrorism.
· The considerably higher costs for infrastructure and services if the event was to be held in July 2012 because of its proximity to Olympic-related events.
· During 2011 sponsorship was sought for the event with little interest obtained of any significance.
This approach is not uncommon in the Olympic year with both national and local established events being postponed. Glastonbury and The Big Chill, along with Ben and Jerry’s on Clapham Common have been postponed in the Olympic year for similar reasons.
Public Safety Risk
The protocols for holding events set out the process for considering and determining all events within the borough’s parks and open spaces. The overriding factor for all applications regardless of applicant is the issue of public safety. Although the management and delivery of the Country Show has seen considerable improvement policing and security costs alone cost approximately £80,000 last year. Public safety remains a key concern and with the additional pressures on emergency services in the run up and during the Olympic period the prospect of the Lambeth Country Show being held towards the end of July 2012 could present an unacceptable risk to public safety.
Financial Risk
Officers have been tracking the procurement environment prior to and during the Olympic period for the purchase of infrastructure and services for large events. To hold the event in July 2012 will expose the Council to financial risk as indicated below:
Finance Risk Assessment Tracker
July 2011 / July 2012 (estimate 10/11) / July 2012 (estimate 01/12) / September 2012
(estimate 02/12)
Gross cost / £472,000 / £570,000 / £674,000 / £460,000
Income / £150,000 / £165,000 / £165,000 / £185,000
Net cost / £322,000 / £405,000 / £509,000 / £275,000
This presents an unacceptable increased cost for the council to manage at a time when it’s seeking to achieve reductions of £90m over a 3-year period.
Pride House and capacity
The proposed Pride House event will run throughout the Olympic and Paralympics Games and attract LGBT athletes, their family and friends, the general public, VIP guests, celebrities, Media and Dignitaries. A detailed programme for the event will be determined over the coming months. The event will include:
· Large screens to watch the games, sporting demonstrations and tournaments, a cultural exhibition, tourism pavilion, charitable fundraisers, health and education seminars, open air concerts (some ticketed some free of charge) and corporate hospitality.
· The event will attract up to 20,000 per day and provide both economic and cultural benefits to the borough, especially small and medium sized businesses within the immediate locality of Clapham Common.
· This proposed event is the only official London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) event in Lambeth of this size.
· Whilst the organisers coproduce the Pride House at the winter games in Vancouver 2010 this proposed event will be first Pride House to be held at the summer Olympic Games, which will provide opportunity to enhance the profile of the borough on an international platform.
· The event will be on site from 23rd July until the 15th August 2012, including setting up and de-rigging.
Given the size and importance of this international event the involvement and attention of the small events team within the Council will be required throughout this period.
For these reasons alone the Lambeth Safety Advisory Committee is advised of the Council’s intention to postpone the 2012 Lambeth Country Show and prior to the start of the summer Olympic Games.
Mitigation actions
1. The Council is committed to bringing the event back in 2013 and to use 2012 to engage local communities in the future design and delivery of this important Lambeth event. This work will be undertaken within the framework of the cooperative Council ethos.
2. The Council will work with the London Community Foundation to deliver a festival fund to support local communities to run events in celebration of the Olympics coming to the capital. This fund will give opportunity for communities to deliver similar, but smaller events that capture the characteristics of the Country Show.
3. September 2012 Country Show option: Following feedback and after listening to the views from the general public regarding the potential loss of this event in July 2012 the Council’s intention is to hold the event over the weekend of 15th-16th September 2012. This proposed date follows completion of the 2012 London Olympics.
The Council will seek the engagement of local groups like Herne Hill Forum, Friends of Brockwell Park, Brockwell Park Management Advisory Committee to tap into local expertise, knowledge and resources to coproduce options, design and delivery of a remodelled event in September 2012.
The proposed event could maintain some of the characteristics of the traditional Lambeth Country Shows, but may need to be reduced in scale to keep within budget and potentially operate to shorter daytime programming. The proposed framework for coproducing this event with community partners is as follows:
- Safety
- Quality
- Cost envelope
This proposed budget is being made available at a period of challenging demands on public funding and provides the basis for coproduction discussions with local communities. The Council will be expecting to secure through its work with local communities additional resources, including volunteering and fresh ideas for delivering the event. As part of this process the Council will not compromise public safety and the delivery of a quality event.
Cost / September 2012 (estimate 02/12)
Gross cost / £460,000
Income / £185,000
Net cost / £275,000
2. SPECIFIC EVENT DETAILS
Date of application / 3rd February 2012
Venue / Brockwell Park
Promotion / No
Televised / No
Attendance / 180,000 over 2 days
Fee (minus bonds) / N/A
On site / 8th September 2012
Event start / 15th September 2012
Event stop / 16th September 2012
Off site / 23rd September 2012
Event time / 11am – 6pm
Licence required / Yes
Engagement start / 13th February 2012
Engagement end
3. LAMBETH EVENTS TEAM ASSESSMENT (STAGE 1)
Date of assessment / 3rd February 2012
Assessment against Council policies/local by laws, etc. / The event in July 2012 be postponed on the following grounds:
· Impact and stretch on the resources of the emergency services in the run up and during the Olympic period and the threat of terrorism.
· The considerably higher than usual costs for infrastructure and services if the event was to be held in July 2012 because of its proximity to Olympic-related events.
4. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR ASSESSMENT (STAGE 1)
Date / 5/10/11
Assessment / To LESAG / Deferred for further information / Rejected
Reason for deferral or rejection / I agree with the assessment that the July 2012 be postponed on the following grounds:
· Impact and stretch on the resources of the emergency services in the run up and during the Olympic period and the threat of terrorism.
· The considerably higher than usual costs for infrastructure and services if the event was to be held in July 2012 because of its proximity to Olympic-related events.
I also recommend that the Lambeth Events Safety Advisory Group agree the holding of the County Show on the weekend of 15th-16th September 2012 in Brockwell Park.
5. LAMBETH EVENTS SAFETY ADVISORY GROUP (STAGE 1)
Recommendation / To stage 2 / Deferred for further information □ / Rejected □
Assessment, including safety and environmental impact / The event report was presented to members present at the LESAG on Monday 13th February and then emailed to all members on the 13/02/12 and then again on the 15/02/12 for their comments, recommendations and objections.
The LESAG have made the following comments by email:
(MP) Metropolitan Police – Graham Williamson, Lambeth Police Operations & Events
· I have updated Mr Howe and he has a similar view as our Parallel Events Team. We are comfortable with LCS being rescheduled for 15 & 16/09/2012 and are able to put a policing plan around this event.
(LAS) London Ambulance Service – Stephanie Adams, Ambulance Operations Manager
· My only comment would be potential difficulty in getting first aid cover given that it is the first weekend after the end of the Olympics.
· As long as the event has the same event management plans and risk assessment, then I have no other immediate reservations.
(LAS) London Ambulance Service – Alan Gibson, Emergency Planning Advisor
· As Steph have agreed to cover the event from an LAS perspective the only point of concern is the ability to source appropriate first aid cover.
(LFB) London Fire Brigade – Kris Bedlow, Lambeth Fire Station Manager
· No adverse comments from LFB.
(TFL) Transport for London – Angela Oluwole, Area Manager
· London Buses have no objections to the proposed event as long as the traffic management is the same as last year as discussed at the LESAG meeting this morning.
· Kindly ensure that the details of the traffic management including any bus stop suspensions/bus diversion are forwarded as soon as possible.
(PC) Park Service – Paul Carter, Brockwell Park Manager
· In terms of the Lambeth country Show I have no reservations about this going ahead on September 15th and 16th 2012.
(DP) Park Service – Dave Paul, Lambeth Parks Client Contract Manager
· We have no comments on this.
(EJ) Licensing – Esther Jones, Licensing Officer
· No comments from Licensing, happy with the proposal
(PR) Emergency Planning – Paul Randall, Emergency Response Planning Manager
· It may be challenging – in regards to staff working after the Olympic events.
(IB) Traffic & Highways – Ian Baker, Lambeth Strategic Traffic Manager
· There should be no issues with us doing the Country Show this year from a Traffic point of view – the timing makes it easier. We don’t have any expected competing road closures etc. We will have to make sure the contractor for the Traffic Management knows what they’re doing, as there were some barrier supply problems last year!
(CM) Community Safety – Christopher McCracken, Head of Area Crime Reduction Emergency
· Postponing the Country Show from July 2012 would appear to be the most pragmatic option.
· If the police can fully resource the event in September then community safety are also content for it to proceed.
No comments or responses were received from the following members:
· Lambeth Communications – Katy Gibbons
· Lambeth Food Safety – Sandra Harewood / Carol Stewart Williams /James Stradling
· Lambeth Health & Safety – Mina Mistry
· Lambeth Noise Team – Ali Peyvandi
Minutes Taken from the presentation at the LESAG:
· (LF) Lee Fiorentino announced that the LCS is proposed to take place on 15 and 16 September 2012. He asked the LESAG if they had any objections/recommendations, and if so, has requested feedback by 15 February. The information will then be taken to senior management..
· There were no objections from LAS, LFB, MP. PR said it may be challenging – in regards to staff working after the Olympic events. If the TMO’s and timing remain the same as last year’s show, TFL will have no objections.
· LF said that the show will commence at 11am and end at 6pm – both days due sunset and park closing times in September.
· There may not be an Activate or Cultivate area as the event will be scaled down.
· LF will email the report to LESAG members on 13 February 2012.
· DP mentioned that they Urban Green Fair are taking place on 2 September.
Reason for deferral or rejection / There are no reasons for deferral or rejection. Members of the LESAG agree to the postponement of the Country Show until September 2012 for the reasons set out within the report. Stage 2 to be instigated immediately. The Event Services Manager is to instigate non-financial procurement procedures immediately to ensure the best value for money for Lambeth taxpayers.
6. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FEEDBACK (STAGE 2)
Lambeth Ward Councillors
Friends of Brockwell Park, Management Advisory Group and Herne Hill Forum, etc.
General Complaints
and Enquires
7. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR ASSESSMENT AND RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Report Author
John Kerridge
Assistant Director Communities
Culture & Communities Division
Adults' and Community Services Department
Telephone: 02079262744
Email:
8. FINAL DECISION
Jo Cleary
Exective Director Adults’ and Community Services / Approved □ / Not Approved □
In consultation with:
Councillor Nosegbe
Cabinet Member Culture / Approved □ / Not Approved □
Date:
6/6