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Public gardens rental nets £400,000 profits
A FREEDOM of Information request has revealed big profits made by the council from private use of its historic gardens and squares.
Corporate parties, with the public excluded from green spaces, netted the council £400,000 last year alone.
Nine nightly events in Berkeley Square, Mayfair, raised as much as £120,000.
Community leaders have called on the council to plough the money back into the gardens’ upkeep.
But the authority claims the events allow it to keep council tax charges at a minimum.
Leith Penny, director of environment and leisure, said: “By allowing private events to take place the council is able to generate a small income which goes straight to our parks and leisure department to improve facilities for Westminster residents and visitors.
“However, these events are usually open to the public and, if they do involve private functions, normally they will take place out of hours, or in a section of the park, but still allowing access to the park by the public.
“It’s our standard practice to require event organisers to meet the cost of any reinstatement that’s necessary afterwards, for example, damage to grassed areas or floral beds, and is carried out as quickly as possible.”
Chairman of the Mayfair Action Group Ron Whelan said that was a “bit rich”.
He added: “Looking at the current state of both Hanover Square and Berkeley Square, it is difficult to see how this money has been used ‘to improve the facilities for Westminster residents and visitors’, to quote Ms Penny.
“Indeed, the very opposite seems to be the case.” |
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