A festival will be billed for repairs after wet weather resulted in mud across Preston Park.
The Brighton and Hove Foodies Festival held in Preston Park over the bank holiday weekend was hit by heavy rain resulting in the quagmire caused by visitors and then vehicles leaving the site.
Heavy rain on Monday (6 May) resulted in a late opening of the event, which featured performances from Sister Sledge, Scouting for Girls and Symphonic Ibiza over three days.
Brighton and Hove City Council has confirmed work to return the park to its original condition will begin as soon as possible and all costs for the restoration process will be charged to the Foodies Festival.
Cabinet member for net zero and environmental services Tim Rowkins, said: “We’re disappointed with the impact on the grass following a recent event in Preston Park and understand residents want the park back to its best as quickly as possible.
“Our team has been on site today assessing the damage and early assessments suggest it is very surface level and will be easily rectified.
“To limit further disruption the event is taking slightly longer to clear up, and there will also be additional litter sweeps tomorrow (Thursday 9 May).”
Reasonable. Just what people were asking for. Makes sense for the future to consider protective meshes.
Not suitable for this type of event. I’d suggest cancelling pride as well.
Is that cos you don’t love men as much as other men loving men? Bit weird coming from you!
Couldn’t agree more
Yes, cancel foodies and pride.
They are just big commercial concerns.
That also bring a lot of money into the city and help keeps shops and businesses open.
Speaking of businesses, according to the events department (I forget the proper name), there is a shortage of SIA people to manage events in Brighton. Business opportunity if I ever did hear one!
Do you actually know how much money these events bring in for Brighton
It is commercially sensitive information, so we will never learn the specific figures, however, at an engagement meeting with the relevant department, we learnt that income from events has doubled over the last year or so, and the feeling is to continue to promote further events of various sizes around Brighton’s locales.
Can they PAY the bill? Will the same fate await Hove Park in June?
They pay a deposit – as well as the fee to use the parks.
And as businesses they have insurance to cover costs like these.
What bull shit. Why does everyone complain and moan and expect everything. A festival in a park and now people are moaning about the condition of the grass. Boring! what in the love of christ would any one expect from such an event? It womt take long for it all to grow back at this time of year. That festival just paid towards you one way or another, council tax, a family or friend working at it, and all the others who put time and effort organising it