We received the following response from Jo Osbourne to our letter to the Argus about this year’s Pride event:
I have been passed your concerns regarding the condition of Preston Park following this year’s Pride event. Please be assured that we very much share your concerns. The responsibility for the clean up operation is Pride’s. Despite numerous assurances the company they employed, which came with impressive ‘green’ credentials, were not capable of cleaning the park at the speed and to the standard we require. As a result, the Council intervened to return the park to its usual condition as soon as possible.
Many of the parties involved in Pride (Council, Police, Ambulance Service etc) and indeed Pride themselves, agree that the event cannot continue in its present format. Either extensive control measures – i.e. a fence and an admission charge – must be put in place to manage access to Preston Park, or a new venue, probably the seafront, should be found.
There is an extensive debrief for the event on August 31st when we will be reviewing all aspects of this year’s Pride, and in particular the clean up operation, and looking at the future of the event.
Jo Osborne
Events Officer
Sport & Leisure Services
Brighton & Hove City Council
See also the responses from Citypark’s Alan Griffiths, Cllr Kevin Allen and Cllr Juliet McCafferty.