Olympic ‘security risk’ sees Lambeth country show scrapped
10:26am Wednesday 8th February 2012 in Where I Live By Rachel Blundy
Councillors and residents have put Lambeth Council under increasing pressure to rethink its decision to axe the show.
The leader of the council has said the borough’s showpiece event cannot go ahead this summer because of heightened security fears during the Olympics.
Councillor Steve Reed told the Streatham Guardian the Lambeth Country show could not be held in its “usual format” because police faced being over-stretched.
He said there was “every possibility” of a similar event taking place later in the year, but said it would be a community-led exercise on a smaller scale.
He said: “The country show in its usual format is cancelled. We have put the money into a pot for other events.”
Councillor Florence Nosegbe, cabinet member for Culture, Sport and the 2012 Games, said it was not safe to hold the event because of increased security risks.
She said: “Since we can’t run the Country Show in its usual format we are putting money into a special fund so that community groups across the borough can run local events of their own, perhaps with an Olympic theme.
“I hope that one of these events will be a scaled-down Country Show-style event in Brockwell Park.
“This is for one year only because of the unique circumstances caused by the Olympics.
“Next year the Country Show will be back bigger and better than ever.”
Councillors and residents have put Lambeth Council under increasing pressure to rethink its decision to axe the show.
Police said the decision to bin the event was the council’s alone and it would have “supported them in any decision they would have made”.
Thousands of residents have already signed an online petition to have the matter debated at a council meeting and opposition councillors’ have moved to have the decision called in.
Held every July in Brockwell Park, the biggest festival in south London sees a variety of acts performing, and usually attracts 80,000 people on each day.
This year’s two-day show would have been the 38th year of running the event, which is the highlight of the social calendar for many residents and families.
On an online petition, Noreen Meehan, who organises the West Norwood feast, said: “The organisers would have known about this issue long ago and should have been making contingency plans for it. It’s a well known issue among event organisers, of which I am one.”
Rosie Sands said: “Please save this monumental south London event. I can’t think what it would be like without it. I’d like to bring my children to the show.
“It’s an important celebration of culture and community and there is nothing else like it. It would break my heart if it was no longer able to go on.”
Chelsey Trowsdale said: “We are a charity who were looking to have a youth empowerment stall this year. I’m 19 and have enjoyed the fair since I was a toddler – it cannot be snatched from us.”
Lambeth Liberal Democrats applied to have the decision “called-in” and debated at council.
Rob Blackie, the Liberal Democrat Greater London Assembly candidate for Lambeth and Southwark said: “[The show] is enjoyed by more than 100,000 people, without consultation or any attempt to see if there are other dates to hold it. The decision has come completely out of the blue.
“Every option should be explored for maintaining the event – whether it happens in mid-July or later. Lambeth has known about the Olympics for seven years – so cancelling the show at a few months’ notice is absurd.”
The council said a fund would be available to community groups to run smaller festivals this year. But it did not say how much money it would make available.
Tessa Jowell, Shadow Olympics Minister and MP for Dulwich and West Norwood said, the “once in a lifetime opportunity” of the Olympics meant the decision was justified.
She said: “I hope everyone will think that, for that reason alone, the cancellation of the show this year is justified. There will be a great pressure on all our police resources and the show requires a great deal of policing.”
Streatham MP Chuka Umunna was unavailable for comment.
Vauxhall MP Kate Hoey would not comment as it “was not in my patch”.
Sign the online petition here.
Do you think the show should be cancelled? Leave your comments below, email rblundy@london.newsquest.co.uk or tweet @streathamjourno.
