The Lambeth councillor responsible for culture says a smaller scale version of the Country Show could still go ahead in 2012.
Speaking to the Brixton Blog this evening, cllr Florence Nosegbe maintained holding the “biggest annual free festival” in the capital just days before the Olympic Games would pose a “significant” security risk.
She added: “We have decided to make a fund available for community groups to hold alternative, smaller-scale events across the borough for this year only.
“One of those could well be a scaled-down Country Show-style event in Brockwell Park. The full Country Show will be back bigger and better than ever next year.”
In the past 24 hours more than 700 people have signed the Brixton Blog’s petition calling on Lambeth council to consider changing the dates of the Country Show until later in the year, after the olympics have finished. If we reach 3,000 signatures the matter will be debated by members at a full council meeting.
Earlier today Lib Dem leader in the borough, Ashley Lumsden “called in” the decision to cancel the 37-year-old event, meaning the move will now be scrutinised by a committee of councillors.
“There is no evidence that other options have been considered – such as moving the event to another weekend in the summer or looking at how organisational difficulties for the July 21/22 might be overcome” Lumsden said this afternoon.
He also said there had been no consultation over the move, except between a council officer and cllr Nosegbe.
