The Overview & Scrutiny Committee of Tower Hamlets Council met on Tuesday 18 June 2024 to discuss a call-in regarding the Victoria Park Licence to Occupy. After hearing representations from both the councillors who initiated the call-in and the Cabinet Member, the committee resolved to take no further action on the matter.

Victoria Park Licence to Occupy

The primary focus of the meeting was the call-in of the Mayor in Cabinet's decision on 16 May 2024 to approve a Licence to Occupy with AEG Presents Limited for events in Victoria Park. This decision had been called in by Councillors Marc Francis, Mufeedah Bustin, Mohammed Chowdhury, Asma Begum, and Sirajul Islam.

Councillor Marc Francis, speaking on behalf of the call-in members, presented the reasons for their concern. He stated that the decision extended the number of major commercial events in Victoria Park until 2027, which he argued was an excessive number. He also raised concerns about the lack of notification to residents and the Friends Group of Victoria Park, and that the decision committed an incoming Executive Mayor to a programme of events for half their term of office. Councillor Francis proposed that the Mayor should reverse the decision and undertake proper consultation with residents.

During the discussion, residents from the Victoria Park Friends group also made a verbal presentation. They highlighted their concerns about the lack of meaningful consultation and the impact of large-scale events on residents, particularly those in social housing who rely on the park for green space. They acknowledged that the park is an asset and that events can generate revenue for council services, but stressed that public recreation should be the primary purpose of the park. Residents also noted that while they were aware of the contract extension, they had expected it to go out to public tender. They corrected the assertion that only a small part of the park would be used, stating it was closer to 40% of the usable area.

Councillor Kamrul Hussain, Cabinet Member for Culture and Recreation, along with Councillor Kabir Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Inclusive Development and Housebuilding, and officers including Jahur Ali (Director of Culture) and Catherine Boyd (Head of Arts Parks & Events), provided context for the Cabinet's decision. They explained that the extension of the licence to occupy with AEG Presents Limited was intended to secure guaranteed income to help maintain parks and open spaces amidst reducing central government grants. They highlighted that the number of event days would remain at a proposed 11 days of major events and up to eight days of community events per annum, with the extension allowing for three full years of events. Officers stated that while discussions with commercial partners were commercially sensitive, funds had been allocated for environmental impact work and investment in the park.

Members of the committee raised concerns about Councillor Kabir Ahmed speaking on behalf of the Mayor, as he was not the lead member at the time of the decision. They questioned the council's decision not to hold broader public engagement and why commercial partners had not been negotiated with to engage residents more effectively. Councillor Kamrul Hussain expressed confidence in the process, stating that the events would ensure the council did not face the financial struggles of other local authorities.

Regarding the contract, officers confirmed that the process for monitoring the contract, including noise levels and liaising with health and safety, would continue. Complaints would be logged and monitored. The contract includes a guaranteed fee, even if events do not go ahead, but there is no break clause unless the contract is breached. The lead member was urged to confirm he would work with residents around Victoria Park to address their concerns.

Following the presentations and debate, the Committee resolved that no further action would be taken on the call-in. This means the original decision made by the Mayor in Cabinet to approve the Licence to Occupy with AEG Presents Limited stands.

The Overview & Scrutiny Committee's role is to scrutinise decisions made by the council's Cabinet and other decision-making bodies. The call-in procedure allows a specified number of councillors to request that a decision be reviewed by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee before it is implemented. The committee can then decide to take no further action, endorse the decision, or refer it back to the original decision-making body with recommendations.

The meeting was chaired by Councillor Jahed Choudhury. Attendees included Councillor Bodrul Choudhury (Scrutiny Lead for Housing and Regeneration), Councillor Suluk Ahmed (Scrutiny Lead for Community Safety), Councillor Ahmodur Khan (Scrutiny Lead for Resources), Councillor Abdul Mannan (Scrutiny Lead for Children and Education), Councillor Bellal Uddin (Scrutiny Lead for Adults and Health Services), Councillor Sabina Akhtar, Councillor Amina Ali, Councillor Asma Islam, Councillor Amy Lee, Councillor Nathalie Bienfait (Scrutiny Lead for Environment and the Climate Emergency), and co-opted members Jahid Ahmed and Halima Islam.