Campaigners claim Enfield Borough Council’s U-turn for an entertainments licence for a Chase Side park is a “victory for common sense.”
A licence to host events including plays, films and music events was granted by councillors on Wednesday, but the council leader Councillor Doug Taylor withdrew the plans the next day due to the strength of opposition.
Brian Macdonald, 76, who lives in Chase Green Avenue overlooking the park, has been fighting against the plans for months by writing letters to the council and distributing leaflets to people in the neighbourhood.
He said: “We are overjoyed, we really are. We haven’t come down to earth yet. We were really disappointed on Wednesday, we were really down in the dumps.
“Everyone down the green opposed it and we are the people who use the green so it was a victory for common sense.
“The message went round like wild fire, people were knocking on their neighbours’ doors.”
Mr Macdonald was concerned about the noise generated from events held in the park as well as from generators, which he was worried would run for up to 24 hours a day.
His neighbour Ruth Hanchett was also concerned that the park could become damaged from large numbers of people visiting at once.
Without Cllr Taylor calling time on the plans, events could have lasted until 8pm on weekdays, 9pm on Saturdays and 6pm on Sundays for up to 20 days per year.
More than 150 people attended the four-and-a-half-hour meeting in Enfield Civic Centre in Silver Street on Wednesday – many of whom did so to show their opposition to the plans.
The council approached fun ground company Mannings earlier in the year about the possibility of running a fair on the green in the run-up to Christmas if plans were passed.
The company rejected the offer, believing it would not make enough money as it is too far from shops.
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