Councils at loggerheads over Clapham Common music events
10:20am Monday 6th February 2012 in Where I Live
Events like the Sainsbury's Super Saturday take place on Clapham Common
A row has broken out between Wandsworth Council and its Lambeth counterpart over loud music events on Clapham Common.
Wandsworth councillors have "expressed concerns" over plans by its neighbour to allow more concerts to be staged each year on the common while also increasing volume levels.
Lambeth Council has signalled it wants to stage up to eight large-scale events on the common each year and allow music to be played up to 11pm.
At the same time it has also announced that it wants to increase permitted noise levels, which will lead to much greater disturbance to hundreds of homes in both boroughs.
But Wandsworth has taken umbrage with the length of the consultation Lambeth has chosen to undertake.
Government rules say that consultations of this type should last 12 weeks, rather than the four announced by Lambeth.
Councillor Jonathan Cook, Wandsworth’s environment spokesman, said: “I’m afraid that Lambeth is a long way from making a clear cut case for these changes.
“What it needs to do now is to sit down and engage more closely with residents who live near the common.
“It would simply not be acceptable for changes as drastic as these to be made without full and proper consultation with those most directly affected by any relaxation in the noise rules.”
Jason Lander, a Clapham Common northside resident, said: "Although some people might be concerned about the increase in music events, many people chose to live in Clapham because it is a vibrant, social and musical area with lots of things to do in the evenings.
"I think many people will feel the same."
The borough boundary runs north/south through the middle of the common - meaning that half of the green space is geographically located in the borough of Wandsworth.
However for operational reasons the common is managed solely by Lambeth.
