Unofficial map by Warpdog
We have been supplied with the following information by one of the residents campaigning to have the Camp in London site at Low Hall Sports Ground either stopped or extensively re-visited. The information is accurate as far as we understand as at 10 May 2012. For background information please read the history page.
Big Events Camping Ltd (BEC) lodged an appeal against the refusal of their licensing application with Thames Magistrates’ Court last month.
Residents, including people who lodged objections to the original licensing application, have tried to contact the LBWF’s licensing and legal teams to find out more but haven’t received any responses to emails. However a member of the council’s legal team confirmed on the phone on Tuesday 8th of May, that the Magistrates’ Court had notified them that a preliminary hearing will take place on Monday 14th May.
In the meantime, BEC contacted this site, saying they wanted to speak to residents but didn’t confirm that they had lodged an appeal. As it seemed likely that BEC would (and in fact, had) appealed the licensing decision, residents contacted by campinlondon.info did not respond to the request in case it prejudiced the appeal hearing.
It appears that one of the originally proposed festival days, Zimfest, has been moved to another location and date. There are still plans for a campsite that could accommodate up to 4000 people (as per the revised number that BEC submitted on 17th April before the licensing hearing) and we understand through the contact BEC has made with this site that they will be applying to sell alcohol to campers on the site.
The council is the respondent to the case on Monday, and under the terms of the relevant act (the Licensing Act 2003) anyone who objected (“interested parties”) is not necessarily allowed to speak in court on Monday, *unless* called by either the court or council as witnesses which can happen.
As we understand it, there are two potential outcomes of the preliminary hearing on Monday.
The court will :
1. Decide whether there is a case to near, whether the appeal is valid, and whether the case outlined in the appeal has been contested.
2. If there is a case to hear, whether to refer it back to the licensing sub-committee or to hear it at the court. If it decides to hear it at Thames Magistrates’ Court, they will *normally* adjourn to hear the case at a later date, in a full hearing with adequate court time.
Local residents are still coming forward to express concern about the campsite itself, even without the sales of alcohol and the entertainment, because of the poor transport arrangements, the lack of provision for protection of children from harm, the noise and disturbance and the other issues raised at the licensing hearing that caused the LBWF licensing sub-committee to refuse the original application and its last minute amendments.
It’s unclear to us whether BEC are appealing based on their original application, or whether they will have revised the scope of the application for the hearing on Monday.
The leader of the council, Cllr Chris Robbins, has confirmed that regardless of the decision on Monday, the campsite will go ahead.
We hope that Thames Magistrates’ Court will uphold the original decision of the licensing sub-committee, in the interests of the community.