18 Feb 2025
A massive children’s indoor play event proposed to take place in Clarence Park throughout the Easter holidays will not be happening.
The project, by a company called Overplay, suggested they could occupy the grassed area between the bandstand and Verdi’s for 28 days, opening from 9am to 6pm in a 12m high big top.
It would have included an all-weather indoor inflatable zone, an outdoor inflatable course, a labyrinth of ropes and netting.
The company’s website states: “Overplay is an all weather attraction, ensuring visitors have rainy day options in their leisure time. Overplay is a unique and fun addition to the entertainment offered by towns and cities. As a touring event, it offers a fresh new experience for families, and promotes physical play and an active lifestyle.”
But the St Albans Times can exclusively reveal that the event will now not be happening.
Clarence councillor Josie Madoc revealed: “Following a meeting this morning between the events officer, and Helen Campbell and Anthony Rowlands as chair and vice chair of the public realm committee, the decision has been taken to NOT allow the event to go ahead. I’m sure this will be welcome news for all.”
Proposals for the event were announced without any prior warning at last week’s meeting of the Clarence Park Consultative Forum, leaving members of the Clarence Park Residents Association appalled at the scale of the project.
Paul Brecknell from the association told neighbours afterwards: “The grassed area of the park is the main area where families and friends get together to sit and play with their children/kick a football/have a picnic in the peace and quiet of the park.
“A large part – probably most – of this grassed area will be unavailable to the public for several weeks since the structure itself will be large and there will be other items taking up space such as portable toilets and food stalls, all presumably within the compound of the event.
“Music and noise emanating from the event until 6pm every day will create a huge disturbance for park users, even if the noise/music levels are kept within the statutory permitted levels.
“People come to Clarence Park to enjoy the tranquillity of being in a pleasant open green space. This will be denied to residents of St Albans during the school holidays just at a time when many parents are taking time off work and when families want to get together in the park.”
He highlighted the three day set-up period as indicative of the scale of the project, and claimed it was in complete contravention of the Clarence Park Greenspace Action Plan 2022-2027, as it was a huge commercial operation not reflective of the park, would exclude the public from a significant area and the noise would prove highly disruptive.
Paul said there wasn’t enough parking for the employees and contractors needed to run such an event, let alone visitors, and no account had been taken of anything else happening during this period, including cricket matches and St Albans City FC games.
Paul pointed out that vehicular access to this part of the park was right next to the children’s playground: “A large area of grass will be covered by the structure itself as well as the portable toilets, food kiosks and other temporary structures which may be needed throughout the period of the event and is likely to take a long time to recover.
“If the area needs to be re-seeded as a result of the damage the public will need to be excluded from the area for potentially the whole summer.
“If vehicular access is needed during the three-day set up and the dismantling of the structure after the event, this could cause considerable damage to the grass.
“Either way, this main grass recreational area is likely to be severely degraded throughout the late spring and summer months.”
He said the justification for the event was income-generation because of budgetary pressures on the council, adding: “The paramount consideration is the protection of Clarence Park from over-commercialisation. The councillors’ no doubt well-intentioned desire to ‘make assets sweat’ is resulting in schemes such as this being promoted which are completely inappropriate
“What amounts to a small-scale funfair is more suited to a space the size of Verulamium Park, which has proper parking facilities and is large enough to accommodate such events without depriving the public of general recreation areas.”
Meanwhile, Terry Di Francesco, owner of Verdi’s Italian restaurant in the park, has also questioned whether it is the right place for such an event.
“As a business person in the hospitality sector my personal view is ‘ the more the merrier’. For Clarence Park , increased footfall, increased awareness, increased interest – all of these will have a positive impact on my business in the long run.
“However clearly many of the realities of holding such an event have not been taken into consideration and simply concentrating on the revenue it might generate for the local authority has taken priority.
“Clarence Park is small in comparison to other venues around St Albans. – it already has a football ground , a cricket pitch and pavilion as well as tennis courts, bowling green, children’s play area and of course Verdis.
“The park already struggles with poor toilet facilities – one of which we have just been informed we are to lose – as well as poor upkeep of the paths and walk areas and excessive wear of the grass areas at the entry points. None of these are addressed on the 3D sketch proposal.
“Furthermore, how they intend to get the equipment as well the required heavy goods vehicles on site without long term path/grass damage will be interesting. Of course parking will be a challenge – daily, it already is and probably a bigger income generator (through the parking shop ) than the venue will be itself.
“One cannot help but wonder why other site options with better access and parking facilities such as Bernards Heath and Verulamium Park weren’t considered for this imaginative new venture – possibly because they foresaw the objections and needed a scapegoat to seemingly listen to the electorate while turning down the commercial grief ?
“In light of the obstacles and constant objections over the last 35 years raised to everything Verdi’s has proposed such as jazz in the park, free deckchairs, gelato kiosk, outside eating and off-licencing – basically anything that might encourage and enhance the park – we now have a proposal for a month-long circus tent plus food and drink stalls with all the litter and disruption and long-term local damage that will cause.
“Maybe this visionary proposal for Clarence Park should be applauded as evidence of the clear decision to monetise and sacrifice our local area regardless.”
