Planning committee defers Gunnersbury Park festivals decision for another month

Hounslow House where the meeting went on for almost four hours

The suffering of residents and the biodiversity of the park were factors in requiring Gunnersbury Estate 2026 CIC to return a revised application with fewer large-scale event days

Angry residents gathered in Room 6.10 of the sixth floor at Hounslow House, filling most of the chairs, to hear councillors debate whether a five-year permission should be granted to Gunnersbury Park to have 22 live event days a year over a five-year period after the CEO of Gunnersbury Museum and Park Development Trust, David Bowler, made the case for the park’s future survival needing cultural festivals and the large amount of revenue they generate.

Soho House Festival, recently held in Gunnersbury Park, is one of the large events held in the summer

A business model created by the councils

“The CIC has been created by this council,” he reminded those gathered in the room.

“The business plan we are delivering is baked into everything we do. The reason we need money is that the councils – Ealing and Hounslow – have guillotined our funding, tapering it in three-year chunks, so they will cease funding the park altogether by 2028.”

“An over concentration of EDM [electronic dance music] events is something we are pushing against, but the reality is this is the kind of festival that sells tickets and in big numbers.”

“We have refused acts that are not appropriate for Gunnersbury Park,” he explains, “but I have to get the best return.”

He explains that this is because – as a CIC – all the profit gets ploughed back into the park and the park needs investment to be a success.

The guffaws and groans from the audience were heard as councillors put question after question to the applicant – and also their opponents – in a meeting that went on for almost four hours.

After David Bowler conceded that the residents weren’t lying when they found sound levels  ‘awful’ near the park and, perhaps sensing that councillors needed some concession, he did admit when questioned by Cllr Page that the minimum number of days of live-events the Trust could have and still raise enough money for the park was 19.

The planning meeting involved 14 councillors, officers, the applicant, opponents and a room full of residents

Reducing live event days by three days might be a workable compromise

Seizing upon this, the committee was loath to approve or reject their planning application P/2025/3274 but were unable to alter the application then and there since Matthew Rees, Head of Development Management at Hounslow Council and legal advisor, Jimmy Walsh, agreed that the committee should vote on a revised application and not seek, in a planning committee meeting scenario, to alter an existing planning application.

Councillor Tony Louki (Osterley and Spring Grove) said that “considering the applicant has just volunteered a shorter amount of days” he moved to bring the planning decision back to the next meeting, suggesting there could be eight Band 1 (large-scale) events and 11 Band 2 (medium to small) events, rather than either rejecting or approving the existing application.

“The seed of that idea,” he told The Chiswick Calendar afterwards, “was planted by Marie Rabouhans of the West Chiswick and Gunnersbury Society.”

Cllr Louki was strongly backed up by Councillor Vickram Grewal (Chiswick Gunnersbury) and the Vice Chair, Councillor Craig Owen (Brentford West), standing in for absentee chair Pritam Grewal (Hounslow Central), as well as by eight other councillors.

Councillor Katherine Dunne (Syon & Brentford Lock ) abstained whilst Councillor Dan Bowring (Syon & Brentford Lock) and Councillor Guy Lambert (Brentford West) – both having stated that they would be inclined to approve p/2025/3274 in its current form – voted against a deferment.

In total, 11 of the 14 councillors voted for deferral.

The Gunnersbury Triangle is badly affected by noise on live event days

But it’s not going far enough, say opponents

Whilst opposing residents – both groups and individuals – to P/2025/3274 were undeniably pleased at the prospect of a reduction of days, the Gunnersbury Park Garden Estate Residents Association (GPGERA) didn’t feel that a reduction of three days went far enough.

They said:

“We are delighted that the Committee effectively rejected the proposal in its current form and has required the applicant to return with a significantly reduced scheme, although residents must now continue pressing for a fairer and safer outcome.

“We want to see a one-year permission, not a five-year blank cheque, with significantly fewer events such as five large events only, a 65dB noise limit and 75dB(C) bass level. We also want stronger policing and stewarding, proper environmental protections, and far greater financial transparency.”

Residents were also left frustrated because after all the time given over to questioning the applicant, the committee only allowed for five minutes to be allocated to objectors, which became less effective as it had to be shared between four of them.

Top-tier music organisers won’t sign up if decibels are reduced

Thumping vibrations must be reduced

Also opposing the application, Councillor Joanna Biddolph (Chiswick Gunnersbury), who as a ward representative was given a full five minutes shared with her fellow councillor Ron Mushiso (also Chiswick Gunnersbury), was well placed to express views of residents whose voices hadn’t been heard.

Cllr Biddolph is a member of Gunnersbury Park Garden Estate Residents Association but is not on the committee that has been working on this issue, and she also lives opposite Gunnersbury Park.

“After seven years of feedback,” said Cllr Biddolph, “I thought I knew the full impact of these festivals but, during the election campaign, I met residents – in roads I thought would be unaffected – who said these festivals are their single biggest problem.

“You’ve had objections from residents in Acton 1.2 miles away; Prebend Gardens 2.1 miles away; and Hammersmith 2.4 miles away – and that is unacceptable.”

She called for sound barriers to be trialled, and noise be measured correctly, saying that measuring just in decibels is inadequate. Bass impact – the thumping vibrations – must be reduced and statutory noise nuisance – this has never been mentioned – measured at every event.”

It was not only the GPGERA who were aggrieved that they did not get all their points heard, but unless questioned by councillors (ie. when objectors are invited to speak directly to the panel) it is normal protocol. Unfortunately, sharing out that precious time makes it difficult to be able to delve into complex issues such as preserving the park’s biodiversity as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC).

Bats in Gunnersbury Park should be protected

Making money by degrading park assets is nonsensical

There are, for example, at least six bat species protected by European law such as the Soprano Pipistrelle and Daubenton’s Bat which were recorded in 2013 in woodland in the vicinity of Potomac Lake (SW corner of Gunnersbury Park) and, as a result of live events in recent years, some of these species may have been lost.

Marie Rabouhans of West Chiswick and Gunnersbury Society (WCGS), who was given two minutes to object, is a veteran speaker at planning committees. She agrees with many that there should be festivals, but is asking for a broader perspective and effective longer-term solutions.

“We fully appreciate the need for the CIC to generate income for the park, but there needs to be a much better balance between using the park as a commercial entertainment venue and its prime purpose as a public park.”

“There needs to be a greater recognition of the negative impact of events on the quality of life and health of the local community, on park users and on key attributes of the park such as the park’s nature value as a SINC. Income generation that degrades the very asset it is intended to support is not sustainable.”

The WCGS is not the only local group calling for a radical rethink of park funding. Those interested in restoring biodiversity to green spaces can read a report from the Council to Protect Rural England (CPRE) London.

READ MORE: Cashing in on London Parks and Countryside.

Revellers enjoy the park whilst residents seek quiet indoors, say opponents

Residents say they are suffering psychological stress

Living nearby, in Silver Crescent, Marie Rabouhans has experienced the effects of festival noise first hand.

“The noise and vibrations experienced at my home were so disruptive that not only was it impossible to spend time in the garden but, even indoors with all double-glazed windows shut, it was impossible to focus on any activity or relax.

“Knowing that, despite having phoned the complaints line, nothing would be done to lessen the harm only added to the psychological stress.”

In her presentation to the panel, she suggested that the Trust’s permission to hold events be reduced to three years, as a compromise, and that instead of 22 live event days there be 18. She emphasised that 22 days was a big increase from the 15 days held in 2025 and will far exceed those of other London Parks.”

Their WCGS submission, which ran to seven pages, can be read here .

Many of the other 500 opponents of the application may have offered effective tweaks to the scheme, but the fact that these are not published on the website for anyone to see is a source of mistrust for many residents.

Democracy at work: Councillor Dan Bowring scrutinises the numbers in the planning report

Test for ‘statutory noise nuisance’

The Chiswick Calendar spoke to a number of the residents in the meeting room to gauge their reactions. The revised application will offer fewer days, but there will not – as we understand from councillors – be an adjustment to either length of the five-year permission or the sound decibels.

Picking up on Councillor Biddolph’s point that sound must be better understood – because it is a very technical issue and one that the panel returned to often – a resident of Heathfield Court, Ian Sanderson, says that the council must test for ‘statutory noise nuisance’.

In the past, he and his neighbours employed a professional acoustic consultant (MIOA) and proved statutory noise nuisance for events taking place on Turnham Green Common and, as a result, Hounslow Council does not, he told us, permit ‘amplified sound’ on Turnham Green Common.

Of the planning officer’s report for planning application P/2025/3274, Sanderson said:

“In officer Jacky Leung’s report, there is plenty of mention of decibels, but if officers are confident not to have 500+ complainants in future, they should apply the real test for statutory nuisance.

“From a given residence, sound levels should be professionally monitored on comparable days over a period of time, say over two days when no concert is taking place. Then, when the live concert is taking place, on the same comparable days and time, the sound levels should be again monitored. It is the uplift in the comparable decibel level that goes to proving statutory noise nuisance.”

One Lionel Road resident, who lives very close to the park, agrees. He also says that though they’ve suffered anti-social behaviour, theft and damage to property, the monitoring of sound is by far the biggest bugbear.

Large festivals are proposed for the south playing fields shown on the screen

More events, but all with lower volume

“We have tested the volume in the kids’ play park with constant readings of 98 decibels. The playground is unusable.”

“We request only one thing – please, please lower the volume! That’s it. We would welcome more events, but all with lower volume.”

Obviously if there are fewer live event days, this will afford some relief to the ears of residents in Lionel Road, Silver Crescent, Heathfield Court and Gunnersbury Triangle and many other places, but it’s the enforcement that will be key to its success.

The Gunnersbury Museum and Park Development Trust will provide their comments once the Board of Trustees has met.

READ MORE: Landmark decision on frequency of Gunnersbury Park festival due.