Enfield Council scraps Oktoberfest over fears of 'drunken anti-social behaviour and crime'

A London council has cancelled a planned Oktoberfest event over locals' fears of 'alcohol-driven anti-social behaviour and crime'.

The German-themed beer festival was initially arranged to take place in Broomfield Park, Enfield, over the weekend of 21-23 October.

Drinkers would have been allowed to drink until 10.30pm on the Friday and Saturday evenings under the plans for the event.

But Enfield Council have denied the application from Barbican Events Limited after local residents aired concerns some of the 8,000 people expected to attend would engage in disorderly behaviour.

Bambos Charalambous, the Labour MP for Enfield Southgate, shared the news on Twitter, writing: “Pleased to learn the application for Oktoberfest in Broomfield Park has today been withdrawn and the event will not be taking place.

“This comes after local residents expressed their concerns about the impact of the event on the park and the local community.”

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Residents were sent letters about the proposed event last month, with the council assuring locals that the organisers could put on a safe event.

But the group Friends of Broomfield Park raised concerns about crime and disorder, public nuisance, damage to the park and disruption to the local community.

David Williamson, events lead and secretary at the local voluntary group, previously told Enfield Dispatch: “These things are all around London, and they cause problems wherever they go.

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“It has not been thought through. If this happens here, it could happen in any park in Enfield.”

The objection from the group to the council states that the “alcohol-driven” nature of Oktoberfest would lead to “a high risk of… antisocial behaviour and from some attendees a high risk of crime”.

It added: “Some of this will be in the middle of a busy Saturday in the highly-populated residential and shopping area of Palmers Green, and in a park with a children’s playground just a few metres away from the event.”

The objection also highlighted how thousands of people exiting the event would “at the very least present a hazardous mixture for parents with children”.

The group claimed that “raucous behaviour will happen and this in turn will cause a public nuisance”.