Councillors Call Public Meeting About Gunnersbury Park
Want to hear residents’ views about granting of five-year festival permission
Live music events bring noise and disruption as well as much needed revenue for the park
September 17, 2026
Chiswick Gunnersbury ward councillors are inviting local residents to a public meeting at Chiswick Town Hall to discuss Gunnersbury Park.
This follows a contentious planning decision granting Gunnersbury Park Community Interest Company (CIC) a five-year blanket permission to host up to 19 events a year. The approved application will see large areas of the park closed and inaccessible for 115 days annually. The meeting will take place on Thursday, 24 September at Chiswick Town Hall, with doors opening at 6:30 PM for a 7:00 PM start.
Local representatives called the meeting to address what they describe as growing frustration among people living in their ward who feel their concerns regarding park access, noise, and crowd disruption have been sidelined. The agenda will cover an introduction to the planning decision background, an open forum for resident discussion, the implications of the multi-month park closures, collaboration between local groups, and strategic next steps for future campaigning.
Ward councillors expressed strong disappointment with the planning process and outcome with Cllr Ron Mushiso claiming that local views have not been prioritised adding that he and his colleagues are not going to give up and have called this meeting to ensure residents have a platform.
Cllr Joanna Biddolph highlighted procedural frustrations, particularly the exclusion of public objectors during the deferred planning committee meeting where the final duration was decided. She noted that granting a five-year permission—with the potential for future renewals—effectively silences residents' voices for a decade or more. Cllr Biddolph raised key community grievances, including high decibel limits, thumping low frequencies, loss of summer park space, poor crowd management, park damage, and anti-social behaviour, arguing that silencing residents denies basic democracy.
Cllr Vickram Grewal, who sits on the planning committee, stressed the importance of equipping residents with effective tools to raise concerns going forward. Because of his committee role, Cllr Grewal must remain neutral on specific planning opinions to avoid predetermination rules that would disqualify him from future votes related to the park. He explained that his priority is providing a forum to listen to residents' experiences, explain the planning procedures and committee rules that led to this outcome, and advise constituents on how to engage effectively with council and enforcement channels.
Since the granting of planning permission, two major events have been announced for Gunnersbury Park next year including a one-off concert from Simply Red and a Rock n Roll Circus festival.
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