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Many of London’s football stadiums aren’t just football stadiums. They’re world class cultural venues. In recent years Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has hosted the likes of Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Bad Bunny, Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium has hosted Coldplay and Boyzone and West Ham’s London Stadium has put on shows from Take That, Foo Fighters and Iron Maiden.
Now Brentford FC wants in on the action. The west London football club has revealed ambitions to host up to six live music events at Gtech Community Stadium from next year.
It wants to hold the events on weekends in June and July in between football seasons (when it normally sits empty) with capacity for up to 24,000 people. Curfew would be at 11pm.
The club says that the shows would make use of the existing stadium, with no need for any building works or changes to the venue’s structure. All that would be required is temporary staging and sound equipment that can be installed and removed around each event.
Plans are currently in the very early stages. A Community Engagement Group meeting and consultation was held for locals to give their input earlier this month and the club has submitted a Environmental Impact Assessment Screening and Scoping Report to Hounslow Council ahead of submitting a full planning application.
Sally Stephens, the fan and community relations director at Brentford FC, said: ‘Any concerts would be subject to clear controls, practical mitigation measures, strict limits and curfews secured through the planning process, as is the case for matchdays at the stadium.’
How likely is it that the planning application will be approved? Well, given recent local furore against a planning application for more festivals at nearby Gunnersbury Park, getting the green light from Hounslow Council may be tricky.
Waterworks Festival and Annie Mac’s Before Midnight event were both supposed to take place at the park in September but public opposition caused delays that meant Gunnersbury Estate CIC wasn’t able to obtain permission in time. Residents complained about disruption because of the noise levels, crowds, increased traffic and antisocial behaviour during previous festival seasons. A decision on that application is still pending, though both events have had to relocate.
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