No laughing matter: Plans axed for six-day 'Laughterama' comedy festival in Highbury Fields after outcry

"Disruption": Neighbours near Highbury Fields say the six-day comedy festival will blight their lives
Rex
Jamie Bullen10 September 2016

Plans for a “boutique” comedy festival in trendy Highbury Fields have been withdrawn following a public outcry from neighbours.

Promoters 57 Festivals, formed in 2009 by siblings Cass and Will Briggs, applied to Islington Council for permission to run Laughterama – a six-day event featuring some of Britain’s best known comedians.

The company has co-ordinated the Greenwich Comedy Festival and Bristol Comedy Garden with comics Bill Bailey, Stewart Lee and Dylan Moran among their headline acts.

The proposals included two tented venues in a fenced off area behind Highbury Pool to host performances for up to 1,800 people until 10.30pm during an unscheduled week sometime next year.

Star attraction: Bill Bailey is among an array of top comedians to perform at events run by 57 Festivals
Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

But residents reacted furiously to the plans arguing their lives would be blighted by excess noise, litter and possible drunken behaviour well into the night.

The council’s licensing committee was set to determine the application next Tuesday but organisers suddenly withdrew the bid on Wednesday.

Director Cass Briggs said the decision was due to “personal reasons” but added she would continue to focus on the events in Greenwich and Bristol.

Outcry: Residents near Highbury Fields called for Islington Council to reject the licensing application
Barry Phillips

The announcement is likely to come as a huge relief to neighbours near the park who pleaded with the council to throw out the plans ahead of the licensing meeting.

One resident wrote: "The Fields are Islington's largest public green space and to fence off large sections of it for restricted and paid for entry is an outrage and will deprive local residents and regular visitors."

While another neighbour added: "This is NOT the right location for a private and disruptive week long event. Rumours of 6ft fences, 2,000 people a night! It goes on too late, for too long, will be too disruptive, too many neighbours' right to enjoy their homes will be destroyed."

Martin Jones, chairman of the Highbury Fields Association, said the park was “unsuitable” to host a large-scale festival.

He told the Standard: “There are larger areas close to here that could have accommodated this better.

“We are used to the odd funfair but this seemed far greater in scope. It was likely to be extremely noisy to residents on all sides of the park.”

A spokesman for Islington Council confirmed the licence had been withdrawn.

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