A park has been left in a muddy mess after a weekend of music, with a senior councillor pledging to have the churned up grass made good and paid for by the event organisers.
The large grassy area used for children’s after-school and weekend football was damaged by deep tyre tracks in Hove Park.
The damage appears to have been caused during the removal of staging and other equipment after the Levellers and Passenger headlined concerts on Saturday (5 September) and Sunday.
Labour councillor David McGregor, the council’s cabinet member for the economy, culture, heritage and tourism, posted about the mess on Facebook.
Councillor McGregor said: “The event organisers will be paying for this mess to be fixed.”
He said: “You may have seen the mess of the grass from the Passenger concert this weekend. It’s totally unacceptable.
“We’ve instructed someone to scope out what work will be needed to fix this urgently and we will be billing the event organiser for the work.
“There will be no delay in getting this sorted. We’ll commission the work, get it done and then bill the organisers for the cost.
“Events are a key part of what makes our city so special but we’re not putting up with this kind of mess.”
Conservative councillor Ivan Lyons, who represents Westdene and Hove Park, thanked residents for contacting him about the “terrible mess”.
Councillor Lyons said: “The way that the park was left by the organisers has been totally unsatisfactory. It may have rained since the concert but to leave it like this is totally unsatisfactory.”
The organiser, Joy Concerts, has been approached for comment.
BHCC are only interested in how much money they can make from the city’s open spaces
Same goes for the K.A.
The original purpose of our public parks was to improve public heath, provide green space for fresh air and exercise. They also help to fight pollution, encourage biodiversity in city centres and help to control temperatures and humidity. Green zones in city centres are also crucial to social cohesion. Brighton Council treats them as little more than cash cows with no consideration as to their intended purpose.