Lewisham Council plans to make £500,000 from its parks, as it faces £30m of cuts from its budget over the next two financial years.

The council is proposing to increase the number of large commercial events in Blackheath from one to two per year, and to market Beckenham Place Park to promoters as a new venue.

The council sees increasing the number of events in the borough, of which there were 499 in 2017/2018, as a means to “generate much needed additional revenue,” according to a council report.

But at a sustainable development select committee, Cllr Alan Smith questioned whether the council’s head of environment Nigel Tyrell had considered a recent court ruling against Haringey Council which ring-fenced money raised in Finsbury Park.

This came after locals challenged the council’s decision to host the Wireless festival in the park.

The ruling established that, under the Open Spaces Act 1906, money raised from the hire of Finsbury Park can only be spent on Finsbury Park.

Mr Tyrell said he was not aware of the details of the case.

Cllr James Walsh said there were a number of events taking place in parks which could be used to generate revenue.

“I currently have a lot of events happening in my local park, Ladywell Fields,” he told the committee.

“Six mornings a week there is an outside gym that’s popped up and no one’s charging for. There is a football tournament with referees which they have paid for…they are not paying for the ability to do it in the park.

“We need to be looking at this as a borough wide proposal as whole host of things. They do cause damage – the grass in Ladywell Fields is having to be resewn as they have destroyed it,” he continued.