A petition started by Merton Friends of the Earth urging the council to reject its own licensing application to allow the sale of alcohol in Morden Park has garnered more than 500 signatures.
Currently, organisers have to apply each time they want to host a specific event and serve alcohol in the park.
But the latest application would effectively create a permanent premises licence for the park, allowing events to serve alcohol without further consultation with local people.
Mariana Pacheco, co-coordinator of Merton Friends of the Earth, said that the group supports Merton Council’s efforts to encourage “small-scale cultural, social and sporting events”.
“However, we remain committed to protecting residents, park users, and the biodiversity of this much-loved green space from the disruption caused by large noisy events,” she added.
“Local residents deserve the democratic right to be properly consulted before any licence is granted for major festivals or concerts in Morden Park.”
If the licence were approved, it would allow drinks to be bought in the park from 9am every day of the week, until 11pm on Monday through to Saturday, and until 10.30pm on a Sunday.
It would also enable the park to host plays, film screenings, indoor sporting events, boxing, wrestling, live music, recorded music and dance performances during the same hours.
The council’s application for Morden Park reveals that it also wants to gain similar licensing approval for Wimbledon Park.
Last year, Morden Park hosted various day festivals, including RnB Nation and Garage Nation.
Merton Council’s deputy leader Eleanor Stringer has disputed that a permanent premises licence for Morden Park would allow events to “automatically happen”.
“All proposals from event organisers would have to comply with strict conditions to ensure that they are safe and preserve the green space – otherwise they will be refused,” she said.
“Residents would still be able to raise concerns about any individual event.”
She claimed that the council would “never propose anything that would harm this beautiful green space”.
Cllr Stringer added that local people were able to comment during the public consultation on the permanent premises licence application.
A final decision as to whether to approve the application will be made on April 22.
