31DEC25
Please see below for our latest update following Lambeth dropping the appeal against the High Court judgment, cancelling the Lambeth Country Show, and now entertaining a planning application by the commercial producers for over a month of park closure for ticketed festivals.
We're planning a more comprehensive update of the website soon, and in the meantime we're asking you to lodge your own comments on the planning application - see full details below.
Thanks and HNY from all at PBP
Planning application for Brockwell Live 2026 submitted
click for more...
Following the sudden axing of the Lambeth Country Show by Lambeth Council we are now faced with a situation where the park could be fenced off in spring exclusively for private events with huge profits pocketed by the private operators.
Brockwell Live has just submitted their planning application for 2026 to hold five major event days.
Despite not offering the free Lambeth Country Show they want to erect the *Great Wall for 32 days.
However the council has conceded that Brockwell Live has to secure planning permission before going ahead *thanks to our high court win.
A planning application means that we as a community are part of the discussion (not true for events under permitted development) and there has to be a full assessment regarding loss of amenity/ecology /access and noise. This will be the first time Brockwell Live has had to go through this process.
We have til the 5th January to send in representations. The more people who do this the better. Please see next message for further advice on this .
Thank you for your patience! We've now had early advice from our planning consultant. His clear message is that the most powerful way to support his technical report is through personal objections, based on your own experience of using Brockwell Park.
You don't need planning jargon. What matters most is explaining, in your own words, how the events affect your ability to use and enjoy the park during the build-up, during the events, and in the months afterwards. The scale, duration and lasting harm really matter, especially to those who use the park regularly.
It is still important to frame your experience in a way that counts as a planning objection. Our short guide has all the details of where to object and also explains the kinds of planning issues that matter, and how to express them clearly without technical language:
It also highlights a few pitfalls to avoid and who to BCC.
Please avoid copying text or listing points. Councillors give far more weight to genuine, individual experiences than to anything that looks like a template.
Every thoughtful, personal objection makes a difference and could help protect Brockwell Park
Comments will continue to be accepted after the stated deadline.
23JUN25
In our first legal challenge, the High Court confirmed that the duration of a temporary use must be judged by when the land actually returns to its normal use. (Meaning that full planning permission should have been sought for events of this length.)
This year, that didn't happen until 16 June - only after the event walls came down and all infrastructure was removed (arguably longer given that areas are still roped off due to serious surface damage). That means the 2025 events went ahead unlawfully.
Since then, Lambeth Council has tried to downplay the ruling by issuing a slightly amended certificate, treating the breach as a technicality and misrepresenting the judge's clear reasoning. The Council has also appealed the High Court's decision.
We've now launched a second judicial review to challenge this new certificate.
This next case - and resisting the Council's appeal - is our chance to make the original judgment watertight and prevent future misuse of planning powers. If we don't act, this false loophole could be used again in Brockwell Park and other parks across the country.
This campaign is about the park as a green public space and Lambeth Council's pattern of dodging scrutiny. It stops now.
If you are as shocked as we are that Lambeth Council only wants to listen to the event promoters, and not the local community, please write to your MP and councillor:
Helen Hayes MP - helen.hayes.mp@parliament.uk
Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP - bell.ribeiroaddy.mp@parliament.uk
Lambeth Councillors - londoncouncils.gov.uk/london-directory/lambeth
We know there are many questions, so we've put together some FAQs to help clarify the situation:
Q: Why did you go to court?
A: Legal action was a last resort. Lambeth repeatedly refused to engage with us or address serious concerns we've raised over many months. We could only take Lambeth to court after it had made important delayed key decisions that should have been considered and dealt with properly last year.
Q: Will there be an appeal?
A: The High Court refused Lambeth and Brockwell Live permission to appeal. They could apply to the Court of Appeal, but in light of the Judge's strong comments, we believe they will struggle to proceed.
Q: Are you trying to cancel the festivals?
A: No. Our goal was never to cancel Brockwell Live. We simply wanted events to be sustainable and appropriate for a historic, delicate park. Brockwell Park hasn't recovered from the damage caused by the last few years of festivals, and we are deeply concerned that another round this year would cause long-term ecological harm. We believe a public park should be accessible to all, not fenced off and exploited for profit by global investment companies, like KKR that have no connection to the local community resources they exploit.
Q: Will you take further action?
A: Lambeth, as a public authority, is obligated to implement the Court's decision and revoke the permission it gave to Brockwell Live. The Council has a duty of care to ensure the park remains accessible to everyone. We've asked them to confirm that Brockwell Live's fencing and equipment will be removed immediately. We will of course be considering further steps in due course, dependent on their next steps.
Q: What happens next year?
A: We sincerely hope Lambeth will now engage with us, and its duties lawfully and fairly. We remain committed to ensuring Brockwell Park is protected, and that any future events serve the local community and the Park. We are not anti-events, we want events that are respectful, sustainable, and truly beneficial for everyone.
- Our planning consultant's formal objection on PBP's behalf to the commercial events planning application:
* Objection - Protect Brockwell Park
- An objection by a member of our team:
- The Friends of Brockwell Park and their Objection can be found here:
*
Home - Friends of Brockwell Park
- Recent article in Brixton Buzz: 'Opinion piece: What should we ask of a public park? Large festivals and Protect Brockwell Park'
Protect Brockwell Park (PBP) is calling out Lambeth Council's misleading narrative around the Brockwell Live festivals.
We are not anti-festival: we support well-run, inclusive events. But these large-scale, high-impact commercial festivals are damaging Brockwell Park's ecology, heritage, and community value. The park is being overused and under-protected.
The Council cites a promoter-funded desk study to claim "no environmental damage." This report involved no site visits or baseline surveys, and fails to assess the cumulative harm. Meanwhile, residents see the real impact: destroyed grasslands, damaged trees, compacted soil, and degraded heritage paths.
Claims that festivals boost local business are also questionable. Many traders report reduced footfall and disrupted operations during event periods.
We urge Lambeth to rethink its approach. Brockwell Park is a public green space, not a commercial venue. The model must change before it's too late.
#ProtectBrockwellPark #BrockwellLive #LambethCouncil #UrbanGreenspace #StopTheDamage #GreenSpacesMatter
'No Walls' Action in Brockwell Park
PBP launched a Judicial Review [wikipedia] against the council. The hearing was on Thursday 15 May and the judgment handed down the following day: High Court win for Protect Brockwell Park!
Lambeth has lost the legal challenge. The High Court found Lambeth Council acted unlawfully and irrationally in issuing the planning certificate that the Council relied on to justify Brockwell Live as lawful in planning terms, has been quashed.
Update Following Our High Court Win
We wanted to share an update, along with more context on the recent legal developments.
First and foremost, we regret that legal action became necessary. Unfortunately, the applicants and Lambeth Council created a binary situation with no room for compromise. They submitted applications inappropriately late, despite knowing the risks this would introduce, as has happened in previous years.
We've been trying to engage with Lambeth and Brockwell Live since last October. Unfortunately, claimants like us can't apply to court until Lambeth makes a key decision, and that is why everything has happened so close to the festival start date. Their repeated use of last-minute tactics has allowed these large-scale events to close off and damage the delicate ecosystem of a heritage park, without proper scrutiny. We have consistently called on the Council to secure full planning permission for all events, supported by robust environmental and community impact assessments, but were ignored on multiple occasions.
Now the High Court has ruled in our favour, we hope Lambeth Council will now choose to act lawfully and fairly, and honour their responsibility to hold the park in trust for the local community. We remain committed to protecting Brockwell Park to ensure that any future events bring genuine benefits to local people. We are not anti-events. On the contrary, we hope Lambeth will engage with us constructively to ensure all events are sustainable and proportionate.
Protect Brockwell Park is only on Brevo, Instagram and Whatsapp. We are not on X/Twitter, and are not associated with any other Brockwell Park organisation / individual that has their own opinions.