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Friends of Park suggest a new approach to events in Finsbury Park
The Friends of the Park have proposed a new way of handling events in the Park which would restrict music events to a more manageable size while retaining this kind of activity for those who want them. Certainly worth serious consideration (more details in the article below). I hope Haringey Council engage - we have all appreciated our wonderful park during the lockdown and I’m sure we would like to avoid having half of it fenced off for so long next summer.
https://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/environment/friends-of-finsbury-park-call-for-changes-in-light-of-wireless-coronavirus-cancellation-1-6658199?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=dlvr.it
https://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/environment/friends-of-finsbury-park-call-for-changes-in-light-of-wireless-coronavirus-cancellation-1-6658199?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=dlvr.it
Comments
Literally.
I feel like this lockdown has provided me with a bit of reflection in terms of what I need and what I want - mainly that I don't need to be entertained 24/7 and that community shouldn't be taken for granted. I wonder if that mindset would extend to the ongoing management of the park?
When the council tax bill comes through, their spending breakdown comes with it, which is about 56% Social Services, 23% on debt and administration, 8% public health and about 8% on the environment and neighbourhoods. That leaves 5% on the rest.
https://www.haringey.gov.uk/sites/haringeygovuk/files/council_tax_online_guide_2020-21v7m.pdf
As CMO notes, I'm no economist, but the council need to prioritise A, B or C - and that's really up to us through elected representatives.
I personally don't mind a few weekends of mayhem if it means we get new facilities put in regularly.
However - and this won't be a popular opinion - but I feel like re-jigging some of the spending priorities away from stuff like the council buying up property and putting that into parks and wealth creation might be a better idea.
But that's a larger question not to be had here.
I'm not sure what people are proposing to do about this? Haringey has less money every year and is cutting and down sizing loads of stuff. No way would adding over a million to the park budget be a plan.
Park manager.
Project officer
5.5 hygiene staff
1 nursery gardener
3 seasonal gardeners
2 rangers
But I don't think that's the main cost.
I guess they might get dumped due to lack of funds this year...
Capital projects planned for implementation for 2019 - 2020 at Finsbury Park, also listed
in the Action Plan in section 12 are summarised here:
• Over 8s play and Richard Hope Play Space refresh: £600,000
• Under 8s Play area resurfacing: £40,000
• McKenzie Garden refresh: £30,000
• New Euro Cart waste strategy: £15,000
• Tennis upgrades: £40,000
• Netball upgrades: £66,000
• Tarmacking repairs: £136,500
• Water leak repairs: £20,000
• Accessibility improvements: £28,000
• Security improvements: £180,000
• Sprytar App: Costs yet to be ascertained
The parks service gross budget for 2017/18 was a total of £5.1m with a revenue income
of £4.5m and operated a net deficit of £600k. According to a survey by Parks for London
this represents the second lowest operating deficit in London.
Whilst the service has borne its share of austerity related budget reductions, in recent
years the service has chosen to focus on generating additional income to mitigate these
reductions rather than impact service delivery on the ground. The service has managed
this by growing the amount of income generated through: -
• Increasing the number of park properties let
• Increasing the number paying a market rent,
• Growing the number of commercial events
• Growing the level of filming income
• Increasing the range of services offered to other organisations
A breakdown of the 2017/18 revenue budget is set out below: -
a) Revenue Expenditure – Employees, Premises, Transport, Supplies and
Services, Third Party Payments, Support Services etc
a. Total Parks expenditure £5,142,184
b. Employees £2,665,995
c. Premises related expenditure £534,054
d. Transport related expenditure £144,885
e. Supplies and Services £398,471
f. Third Party Payments £662,463
g. Support Services £583,987
h. Capital Charges £152,330
b) Revenue Income - Customer and Client Receipts, Recharges etc
a. Total Revenue Income £4,467,442
b. Customer and Client Receipts £3,753,447
c. Recharges £713,995
30k for tarting up the McKenzie garden seems loads. But when it start to think about the individual bits, I'm not so sure. It's a big space.
https://www.haringey.gov.uk/sites/haringeygovuk/files/fees_charges_april_2020_-_march_2021.pdf
Haringey have to cope with the budgets they are given but if the consequences of there being no resistance to underfunding makes it easier for government to enact policy that underfunds public services and diminish quality of life.
Is access to public space such as parks a right? I’m not best qualified to answer. I certainly don’t take it for granted, but at the same time, for all we put up with in London and all we put into it I would say it is the least we deserve.
As a community you need to put pressure on your local councillors and the council to invest in what matters to you - otherwise it will go off and put money into things that others ask for instead. Cynically, if you think of it like a business that only has one stakeholder, the community, it's going to invest in things that get them reelected, hence their budget priorities if you look at the breakdown.
I'd be genuinely interested in hearing what the "friends of Finsbury park" suggest should be cut from the parks budget to make up from the million quid the park earns in the "large" events that they want to ban. Or if they want the council to fund it, then what do they want Haringey to cut services to free up the cash?
I don't mean to sound negative about the Friends of Finsbury Park group. I just only seem to hear them complaining like NIMBY people, and hear no solutions.
I think I'd be happy with it. But I think I'm saying that from my nice house in Stroud Green whilst I debate if I should have wild mushroom risotto with truffle oil or if I should have a scallops and pasta for tea.
For example, it's worth taking a look at Victoria Park. In the past there used to be events fencing up for best part of 2 months, to accommodate Field Day in mid-June, then Lovebox around a month after. A couple of years ago they changed things, bringing in All Points East concentrated around 2 weekends at the end of May half-term. As a result, the council still brings in plenty of events revenue (apart from this year of course!), but the disruption to other park users and nearby residents is condensed into shorter period of time.
In comparison Finsbury Park seems to have a lot of events causing longer lasting disruption, and perhaps they could learn from Victoria Park.