Hounslow Council's Planning Committee has approved a temporary change of use for Gunnersbury Park, paving the way for a three-day music event despite concerns from local residents about potential noise and disruption.
The decision was made at a meeting on Thursday, 7 August 2025, following a review of the application for the event, which is scheduled to take place on 12-14 September 2025. The event will involve setting up from 1 September and clearing the site by 19 September. The proposal is for the staging of a three-day music event to be held on 12th, 13th and 14th September 2025. The event will have a maximum capacity of 13,000 on Friday, and 15,000 on Saturday and Sunday.
The application concerns a 21.42ha area of Gunnersbury Park, including the event area, production area, and a vehicular access route through Popes Lane. The event arena, known as the 'Old Cricket Pitch', covers approximately 7.63ha and is located on the southern side of the park.
While the committee acknowledged local concerns regarding noise and disturbance, the approved noise level for the event is lower than the licence obtained by the applicant. The proposed off-site overall noise target for this application would be 73dB. Eight locations have been identified around the park as noise sensitive areas for monitoring. The proposed noise target would be lower than the approved limit in the licence, in which the proposed event would have lower noise impact to adjoining neighbours when compared with other on-site events. The applicant is also required to comply with conditions related to event management, transport, waste, and ecological arrangements.
Historic England recommended that any planning permission should ensure the implementation of safeguards and procedures outlined in the applicant's Ground Management Plan, alongside the Gunnersbury CIC's Post-event Restoration Plan and Ground and its Park Landscape Protection, Maintenance, and Restoration Plan. The applicant submitted a Ground and Park Landscape Protection, Maintenance, and Restoration Plan to mitigate the harm on the Metropolitan Open Land. The committee agreed that the temporary harm to the park's openness would be outweighed by the benefits of the event, which include promoting cultural and leisure activities in the borough, creating jobs, and providing financial support for the maintenance and management of Gunnersbury Park. All net profit generated from the events program is invested back into Gunnersbury Park for the ongoing maintenance and management.
The Committee report for Gunnersbury Park 1015 MR notes that the planning application was recommended for approval subject to conditions.
Councillor Joanna Biddolph had requested the application be presented to the Planning Committee. The minutes of the meeting held on 12 June 2025 show that Cllr Biddolph declared that she was also a resident of the Gunnersbury Park estate.
The Planning Committee approved the application subject to conditions.
Specific concerns raised by local residents included:
- Excessive Noise Levels, including music and foot traffic.
- Threats to local wildlife, including bats, birds, and pollinators.
- Violation of the 1926 Covenant and Public Access. The park is unusable for 19 days.
- Unverified Sustainability Claims
- Cumulative Impact ignored.
- Gunnersbury Estate (2026) CIC is council controlled, meaning the council is effectively granting a license to itself.
The local residents would be informed a dedicated telephone number for noise complaints, which would be made available for the duration of the event.
