Plans to host a Caribbean festival in Beckton Park next month have been blocked by councillors, who refused to grant a premises licence to the organisers of the Windrush Festival. The decision was made due to concerns including transport, road safety, and public nuisance.
Organiser's Disappointment
Festival organiser Wendy Cummins told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) she was "deeply disappointed" with the outcome. Council minutes indicate that while councillors "welcomed" Cummins' aim to host the festival, they felt her event management plan "does not go far enough to address the concerns" of council highways and licensing officers.
Event Details
Events company Radiate Festival hoped to host the Windrush Festival in Beckton Park on Sunday, 21st June. The festival has previously taken place in South London – at Crystal Palace Park in 2018, 2019, and 2021, and at Burgess Park in 2022 and 2023. Cummins said she chose Beckton Park this year because it is a "large, flat expansive area" making it a "great space for events."
Application Process
Cummins first approached the council about using the park in 2024, and Radiate Festival applied for a premises licence on 6th March. The licence would have allowed the company to sell alcohol and provide live music for an event of up to 4,999 people. However, the council's highways and transport department raised objections over parking and capacity on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR).
Objections Raised
Highways officers' concerns included whether event vehicles entering the site would conflict with pedestrians, potential damage to pavements, whether Transport for London had confirmed sufficient space on the DLR, and on-street parking. The town hall's licensing team raised concerns about how people arriving and leaving would be directed to DLR stations and how organisers would ensure attendees dispersed after the festival rather than lingering in the area drinking.
The highways department stated that organisers would need to apply and pay for an events traffic order to protect emergency access and provide an updated traffic management plan. The licensing team requested an updated events management plan with more detailed information on security, accessibility, and noise management.
Organiser's Response
In response, Cummins said she had adapted her events management plan and noted her experience organising similar events since 2018. Minutes record that she highlighted the park "has benefited from previous events such as funfair event and they were able to use the pathway of the park for larger and heavier vehicles." She added: "She understands the licensing regime and has been speaking to the parks team to see how she can bridge the issues identified by the responsible authorities."
Council Decision
Councillors voted to refuse the application at a licensing sub-committee meeting on Monday, 11th May. The decision was published on 21st May. Minutes state that councillors felt the event management plan "does not go far enough to address the concerns raised by the responsible authorities and nothing was presented, or any evidence given by the applicant that could give them reasons to depart from the advice of the responsible authorities."
Cost Challenges
Cummins told the LDRS she had made changes to her event management plan and was exploring options for more parking. She added: "With intergenerational numbers of less than 5,000 people the multi-modes of transport taken would have more than accommodated needs of visitors. There would also have been a fair proportion of local people attending the event not using public transportation at all." However, she noted that the extra cost of an event traffic order and ground survey fees "made the event cost prohibitive to a small organiser delivering a community event."
The decision has sparked disappointment among community members who were looking forward to celebrating Caribbean culture in East London.
