An electronic music festival in Beckenham Place Park will get even bigger despite party goers pooing in locals’ gardens.

Lewisham Council approved event promoter Krankbrother’s bid to let 4,000 more ravers attend Naked City Festival.

The promoter can now let up to 12,000 people attend events at Lewisham’s largest park.

It will be allowed to hold festivals there over two consecutive weekends between May and September. 

Residents living nearby complained that party goers used their front gardens as toilets when the festival first took place in 2019.

Locals also said they suffered from anti-social behaviour and littering.

People living several miles away from the park complained about hearing drum and bass music during the event.

Cllr Stephen Wells, Conservative member for Copers Cope in neighbouring Bromley, said he wasn’t convinced Krankbrother could control the extra attendees.

Speaking at a Lewisham licensing meeting on April 28, he said: “The issue here is the increase in numbers.

"You’re looking at a variation from 8,000 to 12,000.

"I don’t see in the experience of 2019 that currently I have confidence in the ability of Krankbrother to actually marshal and police an increase in numbers.

“I have a problem with your 2019 event … particularly the first event – the Naked City event. We could certainly hear it several miles away over in 2019.

"Particularly the drum and bass which I suppose is inherent in the name really.

"Antisocial behaviour, defecation, urination in residents’ front gardens was common.

"Littering, other antisocial behaviour of those – particularly leaving the event – were significant.”

But Krankbrother director Kieran Clancy said he had received praise from Lewisham Council about the management of previous events at the park.

He said: “We’ve been operating events in Beckenham Place Park since 2019 and I’ve had very positive feedback from local authorities.

"The events feature international DJs and live acts.

"The audience is predominantly young people aged 18 to 35 or so.

“In our view the application should be permitted.

"Krankbrother have got a strong track record of successfully staging events in Beckenham Place Park and in other parks over the Greater London area.”

Lewisham Council said it was satisfied the promoter had taken steps to reduce noise and prevent antisocial behaviour since the 2019 event.

A decision published online following the licensing meeting on April 28 reads: “Krankbrother identified noise as a major issue for residents, so a new noise management plan had been created to help reduce local disturbance. The plan self imposes a low frequency limit. The site design had changed, monitoring locations had increased, and output from speakers would be reduced.

“It was also noted that complaints had been received from local residents who had endured anti-social behaviour, defecation and urination in residents’ front gardens at events held in 2019. More policing and marshalling of the area was required. The closure of several roads around the park was welcomed to ease the problem of parking for residents.”

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