FAQs about the Music Festivals 2023
Frequently asked questions about the 2023 music festivals organised by Slammin in Beckenham Place Park this August
Site map and key dates
Please visit this page for key dates, times, site map and any restrictions.
General
Is the park open during the August music festivals?
Yes, the park is open for your enjoyment as usual. The event area is on the hill next to the lake and a portion of the parkland next to it, behind the Homestead.
The perimeter of the festival will have fencing around it between 10th and 24th August, with alternative routes indicated on the map above and on-site.
We’ve worked with the event organiser to minimise the closure of paths and other disruption to residents and regular park visitors’ routines. Please follow the signs indicating alternative routes or visit this page for a map.
Are there any road closures?
Yes, a number of local roads will be closed. Road signs were placed in the area and residents of such roads received a letter to facilitate access on the weekend of the event. Rods closed include Highland Croft Road, Beckenham Park Road and Westgate Road. More details on the event organiser’s website.
Will the car park be open?
Festival ticket holders and the general public are being asked not to drive to the park on event days unless necessary, for example, patrons with accessibility requirements (e.g. blue badge holders). We expect the park to be very busy and would like to prioritise those with access needs.
Most festival-goers are expected to travel via public transport. The car park will operate during the normal opening hours for regular visitors, with a cashless tariff payable between 8am and 5pm. If you must drive to the park, can’t find parking slots available, and decide to park nearby, please do so considerately.
The event organiser produced a detailed traffic management plan, which has been enhanced after taking the learnings from previous festivals. This involves an increase in stewards and traffic marshals.
Traffic enforcement will be in operation and vehicles parked illegally may receive a PCN.
Disabled parking arrangements
There is very limited parking available for blue badge holders. For event ticket holders, only pre-authorised vehicles will be granted access. Please contact the event organiser directly to organise this if you are a ticket holder. The contact details will be in your booking confirmation email.
Is normal park activity taking place?
Yes. The businesses that operate from the park will remain in operation, albeit some may decide to change opening hours on the event days. Please check with each business individually.
The fitness classes will continue, as well as the volunteering sessions and other community activities. Park Run will not take place on 12 and 19 August, other park run events available in the area.
The public is welcome to use the park as normal. The footprint of the festival is only a small portion of the entire 96 hectares of the park and there will be plenty of space spare for other activities such as walking the dog, exercise and social gatherings.
Why was an event such as this approved by Lewisham Council?
Lewisham Council has mostly enabled and approved smaller-scale events to take part in BPP’s grounds, such as open-air cinema, Sunday vintage fair and food trucks with music. BPP opted not to have as many events and as large as other parks of similar size and stature. Many events in the programme are free to attend and, in the main, the park has been left to be enjoyed freely by the public through picnics and other gatherings.
It should be noted that these events are the largest in the park by a long measure, yet much smaller than other festivals in other South East London large parks.
Events in open spaces serve two important purposes:
1) Social value – we aim to provide a varied programme of events that serves a wide range of groups in the community
2) Revenue - Income generated from the hire of outdoor space is an important source of revenue for the upkeep of the park.
The BPP team work hard to balance these aims for the benefit of all.
Isn’t having a music festival adjacent to ancient woodland harmful to nature?
The application process took months and the plans were scrutinised by various entities and officers. An ecology report was produced to evaluate and minimise impacts and LBL’s conservation manager consulted. The event organiser committed to adhering to all recommendations of the ecology report. For example, all loud amplified music must be located 50m away from the ancient woodland and orientated in the opposite direction. The conservation manager continues to work closely with the event organiser to minimise impact on nature
Residents
Contacts
The dedicated telephone number for residents will be posted on https://www.hospitalityinthewoods.com/locality up to two weeks prior to the event. This phone is monitored during the build and break, and on event days. Other contact information can be found on this page.
What consultation was conducted in relation to these events?
The organiser has conducted a consultation and community engagement campaign to engage with local residents and businesses. This has included online public meetings and a letter to 20,000 households in the immediate vicinity of the park. This direct engagement and the learnings from previous years, informed further improvements for 2023.
Lewisham Council has worked closely with the event organiser to minimise disruption to local residents both from the boroughs of Lewisham and Bromley.
Both Lewisham Council and Slammin have liaised with Bromley Council officers to mitigate disruption to residents. This has included some road closures – list to be posted here soon.
The BPP team have published regular updates about progress and the community engagement campaigns. Stakeholders can view the most recent presentation and video recording of the previous community engagement on https://www.hospitalityinthewoods.com/locality
How are you minimising noise pollution?
Following feedback from previous years, a new noise management company was engaged by Slammin and a new plan was created to reduce disturbance in the locality. This plan was approved by Lewisham Council – the key points are on the presentation on https://www.hospitalityinthewoods.com/locality.
Throughout the events, noise will be controlled to overall limits agreed with Lewisham and Bromley Borough Council, and a new lower bass level agreed by all parties. A team of noise consultants will monitor levels from key locations around the park’s perimeter and at noise-sensitive properties. There will be noise monitoring teams from both the event and the council.
For noise related issues during the festival is, please contact Slammin on
01749 574014
This number can be used at any time from when the event starts being erected until it has been dismantled, but is primarily for use on event days. as noise disturbance is unlikely at any other time.
This number is for noise related matters only
You can also contact Lewisham’s Environmental Protection team direct, but please bear in mind this will not provide an immediate response. See contacts section on this page.
Soundchecks will be carried out on the day of the event rather than the day before to reduce disturbance. The time window for sound checks is 10 am to Midday, but they will not run for the whole duration of this time.
How will you manage anti-social behaviour?
Following feedback from previous years, to support the safe egress of attendees from Beckenham Place Park to local stations, and increased crowd management operation will be in place. Fencing, stewards, and security staff will be positioned along routes in greater numbers to deter anti-social or nuisance behaviour.
What will the park look like after the event?
The planning for this event included increased measures to minimise the impact on parkland. All the festival equipment will be removed from the park by the 25th of August. As per previous years, the organisers will pay to remedy any damage caused and any reinstatement will be organised straight after the event.
The cleaning standard of the site within the perimeter of the event and wider park was widely praised in 2021 and 2022. This level is being maintained, with enhanced measures outside the park en-route from and to the train stations now being employed with a large number of extra bins on the route agreed with the council.
How are you minimising disruption to local residents?
Other than measures already mentioned above, Beckenham Place Park Gate (from the direction of Beckenham Junction) will be closed to traffic and pedestrians from 10am on Saturday and Sunday, with stewards positioned on various points to direct visitors. Event attendees are recommended to enter through the main entrance opposite Beckenham Hill station.
Signs will go up around the park from 17th July as a reminder to visitors of disruption to routines in August, and a map has been made available for visitors (see earlier section).
We appreciate that large events such as this can inconvenience local residents. We would like to remind stakeholders that events of this scale are rare in Beckenham Place Park and that a programme of events in the park benefits the wider community, including local residents, by virtue of the varied programme offered and the funds raised for the upkeep of the park.
Trading opportunities
The food and drink line-up for 2023 is complete. If interested in future opportunities please contact community@krankbrotherbppevents.com by the end of this year.