This is a response sent to concerned residents who had objected to the K (Korean) Pop application to hold a Festival in Northwick Park in the summer LINK.
Dear Resident,
Thank you for taking the time to voice your concerns regarding our application for a premises licence in Northwick Park. I appreciate that this can feel like a very daunting prospect for our neighbours and I wanted to write to you to try and alleviate some of your concerns.
Firstly, I wanted to introduce the people behind the application.
Magic Sound are based in Brent and are promoters of touring artists from the Far East, primarily in the genre of Korean pop music, known colloquially as K-Pop. Within the UK this genre is very popular with females between the ages of 10 and 24; as a result, our audience is very much a family audience where under 18s are not permitted to attend without parents or legal guardians.
Magic Sound have engaged The Event Umbrella (TEU), who are experienced event producers working extensively in public open spaces across London to manage event delivery, both in the planning phase and onsite through the installation, live and dismantlement phases.
Further to this, TEU also works on behalf of other local authorities managing the application process for the use of public land in respect of event hirers. These dual roles, as both producers and approvers for events on public land means that TEU understand how crucial it is to protect residents and mitigate against impact on the local community.
The premises licence that is applied for proposes the use of the park for one event in 2025, for a maximum of 3 consecutive days and for future years for a maximum of 6 event days, with no more than 3 consecutive days. However, the current event plans for 2025 are for a two-day event taking place on the Saturday and Sunday, 7 – 8 June.
A key aspect of the conditions of the premises licence application is that a number of documents must be presented for scrutiny by the responsible authorities including the Metropolitan Police, London Ambulance Service, Brent Noise Control, London Fire Brigade, Transport for London and others. These documents include security and crowd management plans, noise management plans, litter and waste plans, to name but a few. If these documents do not live up to scrutiny then the event would not be able to proceed.
In this email I will address the three main causes for concern – noise, security (including alcohol) and litter – but also speak a little bit about traffic management.
- Noise. A professional noise impact assessment is being carried out over the coming weeks that will be used to create a noise management plan to minimise disruption to residents. This management plan will be in line with The Noise Council Code of Practice on Environmental Noise Control at Concerts and will set levels at which music can be played. These levels will reflect the nature of the space the event is occupying.
- Security / Ingress & Egress / Alcohol. A full security and crowd management plan will be developed, not just for the internal footprint of the event, but for the external areas including the local transport links. SIA stewards will be deployed to fixed positions to monitor and manage crowd behaviour and response teams will be dedicated to the surrounding roads, should issues arise. Additionally we will be working extensively with Transport for London to manage the ingress and egress of people through the stations to the park. Given the nature of the event proposed for 2025, it is unlikely that excessive alcohol consumption will be an issue but that does not mean that the sale of alcohol will not be managed in accordance with best practice. Korean food, music and culture are the focus of Magic Sound events, not alcohol. SIA will be located at the bar and response teams will monitor consumption across the event footprint and the wider park area.
- Litter. Waste management at the event is again not focused solely on our footprint, but also across the park, along footpaths and residential roads. Teams of pickers and cleaners will be deployed across these areas to ensure that they are maintained and that we leave no trace at the end of the event.
- Traffic. Another concern that I know our neighbours will have is the management of traffic inside and outside the park; whilst this isn’t a licensing objective, I appreciate it remains important. A traffic management team will be a crucial part of the advance planning process. They will be looking at how they protect residential parking, manage event related traffic whilst minimising disruption to existing park users and ensuring that taxi drop offs are carried out at a designated point with the least impact on houses.
Each of these four keys areas of concerns will have dedicated response teams when the event is live. Residents in the surrounding area will be issued with a dedicated contact number where they can report concerns or issues as they are happening. We will then deploy the relevant response team to take the appropriate action.
I would like to finish by saying that whilst we know that events have not previously taken place in Northwick Park and therefore it is unlikely that one can take place without any change to park users’ daily experience of the park, we are committed to listening to our residents and working with them to reduce the impact insofar as is possible. I know the use of spaces in this way is controversial, but they do absolutely benefit the local authority financially and for those residents who have an interest in attending them, they offer an experience and chance to make memories with their families close to home.
We will be offering residents the chance to attend consultation sessions and we have a direct email mik@magic-sound.co.uk where you can contact us to ask any questions. Further to that there will be chance for free and discounted tickets, as well as opportunities for people to get involved with the event.
Yours sincerely, Victoria Hazell Show Producer
EDITOR'S NOTE: Although the above says that it will be a 2 day event the licence application states:
The intention is for MIK to take place over a weekend (2 days). Whilst dates are pending at the time of writing, the speculative dates will be the 7 – 8 June 2025, with approximately 10 days prior for construction and 5 days following for derig,
40 comments:
The festival will generate lots of money for Brent, either directly or indirectly. Pleased it looks like it is going ahead.
This is just a response from those behind the licence application. The decision will be made by the Licensing Committee.
Exactly what money will it generate for Brent???
I support them.
Neighbours in Northwick Park and the neighbourhood of Brent
In respect of this concert at Northwick Park...
It is very easy to say no to change to any "status quo" . We have seen such objections in the past when new trends can enrich each of us.
I understand concerns expressed and articulated herein. I share many of those.
Is there a way in which we ;
1. Engage with the Council to seek to shape the conditioning of granting permission incl licencing
2. Embrace new trends locally, exposing our neighbourhood to younger people and generation.
3. Extract local benefit (for the local Church for example) , hypothecate part of the income the Council obtains for specific improvements to the park eg a boot washing station for dog walkers , paddle courts etc etc
It is easier to say NO to change, and more rewarding to embrace that change anchored in improvements for our local area.
The Council has "Melas", Circuses, FunDairs, Evangelism events staged across parks in Brent.
The Party controlling Brent Council rents out Pavitt Hall, Byron Court School will have rented out their premises, local eateries hired out their facilities....all to ensure good use of the assets. Can the Council not argue the same .... that it is maximising income generation from it's assets to protect council tax payers from higher Council Tax charges?
I know it seems I am rowing against the tide here, and I myself might go with that tide - for now, I am just airing a different view and urge the Council to top slice the income it receives, in the event of granting a licence, back to our neighbourhood with local improvements.
How do you get 20,000 through a 1 metre wide tunnel with barriers and tunstiles? Very slowly.
"The Party controlling Brent Council rents out Pavitt Hall" - the Labour Party always used to rent out Pavitt Hall for the whole community to use for family parties, wedding receptions, jumble sales, kids events, bingo, keep fit etc etc etc - we know because our family helped raise the funds to build it - but now it's just rented out permanently to one religious group meaning the wider community has lost a vital community space in the middle of Wembley Central - so think carefully about the "the party controlling Brent Council" renting out your beautiful green open space!
What about hospital staff and people trying to visit sick relatives at the hospital that weekend? Hope there will be full supervision to allow them to get in and out of Northwick Park Station promptly.
Labour Councillors have done exactly the same with the Abbey Community Centre in Alperton. The Council owned building was used by local residents for at least 40 years. The Council failed to maintain it. Then they held a consultation about alternative uses - which the Labour Leadership ignored - and then they gave it away to an organisation from Stonebridge thus depriving local people a Centre for their use. As far as Councillor Butt is concerned it is about money, photo opportunities and ignoring local people. Just look how The Labour Brent Council are trying to destroy East Lane Theatre and other long standing organisations which have served local people for decades.
The obvious question to ask is why they did not book the Wembley Arena which is the obvious Brent venue for this type of event - and well geared up to cope both in terms of transport, outdoor space and access to food outlets.
Oh well, Paul. Tough luck. It's going ahead.
You never been to an outdoor festival event in a field before Lorber? Chalk & cheese. Not everyone enjoys built up stadium vibes
Agreed, you cant replicate a two day outdoor festival in a arena. Completely different experience!
And Brent Council built the extensions to Ealing Road Library promising new community space but they then rented it out to the Cha Sha Cafe for storage - us residents didn't even get a chance to use it!
Local businesses. Local super markets. Local corner shops. TfL. Perhaps people also travelling from afar to see an icon pop star? This is putting BRENT ON the map. So happy.
So 10 days to set up 2 day festival, 5 days to take down so the park will be out of use to regular park users for 17 days? For 20,000 expected these people must be amateurs at holding a festival.
So how many festivals are held in a built up area? The Open space is surrounded by a residential housing and backs onto a major Hospital site. Unlike these 2 anonymous people Paul Lorber at least knows the area, its limitations and the needs of local people.
Hospital is irrelevant
It's not a 'field' it is a public recreation ground in a built up area close to a tiny station with very narrow platforms, very narrow stairways and a very narrow exit completely unsuitable for large crowds.
You wouldn't say "hospital is irrelevant" if you had a really sick or dying relative that you couldn't get to because of the crowds and travel disruption caused by this event. Or you needed to get to A&E.
Extra security will be needed to check that festivsl goers do not park in the hospital car park taking up vital spaces for hospital staff and visitors.
Have you ever visited this park? There are no local shops or businesses - there is an expensive stall in the station but the station is so small that doubt it would be allowed to stay open due to over crowding concerns.
Koreans as a community never cause anyone any bother. This is fine.
We hear that attendees will now be expected to walk to Harrow on the Hill Station as the Police don't think the local Public Transport has the necessary capacity. Did the Police consider the effect on the Hospital of say 10,000 people walking through and past? Will toilets and litter bins be provided on this near two mile walk, along with event security staff? Let's face it, the crowds proposed are just too big for this location.
Anon 10 January 2025 at 23:17
You live in a city, not a village. Everyone will be ok.
A meteor could drop from the sky tomorrow too, but everything will be fine.
This is very worrying considering we have so many major events in Wembley...
"Only one in six A&Es in England say they could cope with major incident":
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jan/11/only-one-in-six-aes-in-england-say-they-could-cope-with-major-incident
What assessments do Brent Council make before granting permission for events including in our parks???
Yes we did ask that question when A&E at Central Middlesex was closed. Remains a worry.
Especially with Wembley High Road closed for 18 weeks and major events due at Wembley Stadium before it re-opens 😡
Your glib comments show that you have no empathy towards real concerns over health and safety.
Really, read about the culture and K Pop
I think the last sentence says it all, exploitation of?
For our information from Wikipedia, the free Encyclopaedia
Girl group AOA at the Incheon Hallyu Tourism Concert in 2016. The band are known for their hit song "Miniskirt".
Sexualization and sexual exploitation in K-pop refers to elements of sexualization and sexual exploitation in K-pop (Korean pop), which was once seen as a conservative music industry.
This is in part due to 21st century globalization, with Korean entertainment and record label companies intending to market their idols abroad.
Femininity is often defined by a suppressed doll state conforming to Lolita ideals. These ideals consist of a slim figure, long legs and a perfect face.
Korean masculinity requires a soft or cosmopolitan masculinity. That males are expected to be strong and virile, but also possess soft features such as a sweet personality and a cute face.
The manifestation of sexualization is represented in every part of the idol republic, but is most commonly found among modern music videos, which have become increasingly sexualized over the last decade.
K-pop was first inspired by the Japanese idol system during the 1990s and eventually morphed into a global phenomenon over a twenty-year time frame. Male and female idols do follow some normative feminine and masculine traits, respectively, as defined by the South Korean patriarchal system and in conjunction with a globally desired façade. Female idols are often objectified more than male idols.
As the flagship cultural commodities of South Korea, female K-pop singers are expected to be sexy, strong, and independent, in conjunction with being a product for the patriarchal South Korean capitalist society, which wants them to be submissive, innocent, cute, and lovable
Do you really want your children exposed to this culture?
K Pop makes the female idol fill a Lolita role, one which fulfils a market need by supplying a male paedophilic fantasy of a young female with unconscious sexuality. Consequently, girl (female) bodies have become a commodity and given implicit subjugation in the patriarchal structure, the consumption of such is acceptable. The females may present "girl power" given their high popularity status, but their pawn-like nature under their parent companies keeps this a novelty, not a reality, via pacification.
The Arts Council England gave £450,000 to Magic Music towards their promotion of K-Pop in Brent over 3 years. Have a look at their company accounts and ask yourself why they needed this grant funding at all, and why the Cabinet Member was so glowing with her announcement about the funding. At least we now guess why the Council are pushing the Concert, they want a share of the £450,000 perhaps?
Quote by Cabinet Member Donnelly Jackson "We are proud that six incredible cultural organisations that are based in Brent have been awarded this enormous slice of funding by Arts Council England. Brent is the Borough of Cultures, brimming with talent and diversity."
Excuse me, what has a company an average of seven employees, including the directors got to do with Brent brimming with talent?
The two directors live in Mill Hill and the organisers are from the south east, and the performers are from? You guessed it, south east Asia. So absolutely no connection with brent other than an office in Park Royal. Perhaps their accountants?
The company had assets as at 29th Feb 2024 of £9,374,679 and they got a grant from Arts Council England! See for yourself using the link below.
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/07433425/filing-history
If this event is expected to be attended predominantly by "females between the ages of 10 and 24" with "very much a family audience where under 18s are not permitted to attend without parents or legal guardians." why, exactly, do they need to sell alcohol with a alcohol license running from 11am - 10pm Friday to Sunday???
How safe will the mostly females and young families feel traipsing to Harrow On The Hill station late at night when there is already lots of ASB in Harrow Town Centre???
What do the Councillors surrounding the Northwick Park think about the idea. So far they have been completely invisible and inaudible on the subject. Why has it been down to the Kenton Conservative to inform residents of an event in a Labour represented ward? Obviously out Labour Councillors are completely supportive of this event regardless of the inherent dangers of overcrowding at tube stations, the loss of the Gaelic Football and a Cricket pitch which may not recover from these annual events. How we wish we had decent Councillors in the area again. Maybe soon?
Barham Park is ruined twice a year by the funfair - Brent make money but the grass surface is not repaired properly.
How are The Arts Council of England funded? If through us tax payers then why isn't proper due diligence carried out before they hand out £450,000???
The licence application which will apparently be "in perpetuatity" - though not sure how you can grant a licence in perpetuatity when not one successful event has yet been held there??? - can still be commented on...
The full application with supporting documents can be seen on the Brent website and comments can be made with a deadline of January 14th 2025.
The grounds on which comments can be made are fairly narrow...
When a premises first applies for a licence, or if they apply to vary their licence, or if the licence is reviewed, you can comment on the application to support or oppose it.
How to comment...
If you want to comment on an application, you must do it in writing by the advertised date. This is usually 28 days after the application was made.
Representations (comments) will usually be expected to relate to at least one of the licensing objectives.
The objectives are:
- preventing crime and disorder
public safety
- preventing public nuisance
- protecting children from harm."
So the deadline was last week as stated in the article. However, it may be worth trying to pit in a late comment.
Believe comments can still be submitted up until the day of the meeting.
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