Haringey Council has revealed that it has a cash lump sum from organisers of the Jamaica Village festival after plans for the ten-day event in Finsbury Park were abandoned last month.

Liberal Democrats, who found out about details of the non-refundable deposit paid to the Council after a Freedom of Information request, have said that the £37,500 should now be used to improve the park.

Local councillors have also highlighted that the Council needs to learn from the “shambolic” consultation of local residents when the Jamaica Village festival was announced to improve communications on large events.

Cllr Ed Butcher (Stroud Green) comments:

The Council must learn from their mistakes. Given that the Council got such a huge deposit it is outrageous that they failed to talk to local residents who had genuine concerns about noise and access to the park. Clearly the lack of consultation wasn’t due to lack of funding but a lack of interest in what residents think.

We cannot have a repeat performance of the last shambolic consultation if any future events are proposed.

Now we have an opportunity to use the deposit to improve Finsbury Park for local people. The Council must ensure this happens.

They should start by investing some of this money in more cleaning and litter picking in the park after sunny weekends – so it isn’t left looking like a tip.