Decision details

Councillor Sonia Winifred, Cabinet Member for Equalities and Culture, introduced Lambeth’s Events Strategy 2020-2025. Cabinet was informed that this was a revised strategy and was a result of extensive public consultation and recommendations arising from the Events Scrutiny Commission, undertaken during 2019.

The Cabinet Member for Equalities and Culture highlighted that Lambeth was a wonderfully diverse borough and stated that cultural events played an important role reflecting this diversity in educating, entertaining and in bringing local communities together. The following points were noted:

-       Events provided recreational, employment and educational opportunities that helped to build strong and resilient communities through participation and involvement; as well as increasing health and social benefits.

-       The excellent work of the council’s events team, including the facilitation of a diverse programme of events which had helped to make Lambeth one of the best destinations for events in London.

-       The overarching values from the 2016-2020 strategy remained but the refreshed strategy would focus on the need for events to be environmentally sustainable, financially transparent, locally led and accountable.      

It was explained that the Covid-19 pandemic had changed the way events had been delivered across the country and that the council’s events team would continue to work with colleagues in Public Health and the Safety Advisory Group to ensure any events that were allowed to take place were in line with up to date guidance.  

Councillor Becca Thackray, speaking on behalf of the Green Group, welcomed the strategy but highlighted that it was important that the economic and financial benefits arising from events were widely publicised, with greater transparency about how this income would be used to improve parks.

In response to questions, the Assistant Director Neighbourhoods confirmed that the Lambeth Events Strategy 2020-2025 would enable communities to develop and deliver hundreds of community events each year while enabling a smaller number of larger commercial events to take place in a balanced and proportionate way. It was noted that this would allow wider social, economic and cultural benefits across the borough. It was also confirmed that 17 of Lambeth’s parks and green spaces held a Green Flag award and that, overall, the borough had been awarded Gold at the prestigious London in Bloom competition.

RESOLVED that Lambeth’s Events Strategy 2020-2025 be adopted.