K-Pop festival plans pass first hurdle despite safety concerns

A arguable program to big a two-day K-Pop festival for 15,000 radical successful a North London parkland this summertime has been approved astatine the archetypal signifier contempt large reservations.

Festival goers, expected to beryllium overwhelmingly young women and girls, would person to locomotion astir a mile and a fractional betwixt the lawsuit tract and the station, prompting concerns astir their safety aft dark.

There has been increasing absorption to the program since Magic Sound Ltd archetypal applied to clasp the MIK (Made In Korea) Festival successful Northwick Park connected Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8.

Earlier this week (February 4), Brent Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee approved the archetypal plans, nevertheless they inactive request to get the greenish airy from the Brent Safety Advisory Group (BSAG) earlier the lawsuit tin spell ahead.

Although the festival itself would lone past 2 days, organisers expect the full process, from set-up to take-down, to past 17 days – however, they are hoping to trim this to 14. The lawsuit has faced mounting absorption from section councillors and residents, who person raised concerns including the interaction connected section sports matches, the harm it whitethorn origin to the park, and the information of attendees.

Due to imaginable information concerns astatine adjacent stations Northwick Park and South Kenton, it was confirmed that Harrow-on-the-Hill presumption would beryllium utilized arsenic the superior transport hub for festival goers. This would mean a 1.5-mile travel to the festival entrance, crossed 2 engaged roads and done a pedestrian tunnel.

The promoters themselves person said they expect the assemblage to beryllium astir three-quarters pistillate and aged betwixt 10 and 25, sparking fears astir their information walking to and from the site. Further concerns were raised astir the imaginable sound interaction connected section residents and patients astatine the adjacent Northwick Park Hospital and assemblage absorption issues, arsenic good arsenic its effect connected the parkland crushed and leaving sports pitches retired of enactment during the 17-day play – which whitethorn beryllium adjacent longer if they are damaged owed to their propensity to flood erstwhile it rains.

A sound interaction assessment, information and absorption plan, and an ingress and egress strategy are inactive to beryllium carried retired oregon developed but volition instrumentality spot astatine a aboriginal date, according to the applicant. Addressing the sub-committee, a barrister representing 3 section residents – who unrecorded astir 50 yards from the festival tract – and the Sudbury Court Residents Association described the organisers’ presumption arsenic ‘totally unclear and a look for chaos’.

Councillors Narinder Bajwa and Daniel Kennelly had antecedently lodged absorption to the plan, citing its imaginable interaction connected nationalist transport, noise, and litter. Cllr Bajwa said cans and rubbish ‘will beryllium each implicit our streets’ and festival goers travelling by car volition ‘worsen the [parking] situation’ successful the area.

Whilst determination is beardown absorption to the plan, determination is immoderate enactment from section residents who consciousness it is simply a ‘great opportunity’ for the country and ‘will boost the section economy’, arsenic good arsenic suggesting accrued enactment successful the parkland volition ‘deter unsavoury and transgression activities’.

Responding to the issues raised by residents, Magic Sound Ltd said it is ‘committed to listening to residents’ and volition enactment with them to ‘reduce the interaction insofar arsenic possible’. They besides acknowledged that utilizing the parkland for an lawsuit specified arsenic this is arguable but assertion it volition payment the assembly financially and those residents wanting to attend.

Following a deliberation period, the program was yet approved astatine the archetypal stage. In its concluding statement, the sub-committee noted that it had listened cautiously to the representations made but highlighted that its relation is to find the event’s interaction connected the licensing objectives – namely preventing crime and disorder, preventing nationalist nuisance, protecting children from harm, and ensuring nationalist safety.

It added: “The sub-committee has taken afloat relationship of the information that the applicant has agreed to adhere to each the conditions acceptable by […] the liable authorities. In the circumstances truthful the sub-committee has decided that it is so due to assistance the licence, successful short, taxable to the conditions agreed and immoderate further conditions fixed by BSAG.”