The planning application for a World Cup Fan Zone to take place on Clapham Common this summer has now been withdrawn.
Fan Parks London Ltd had proposed to provide a ticketed fan viewing zone for up to 59 days to show the 2026 FIFA World Cup, titled ‘Football Fest’.
Local residents and businesses had expressed their concern about the proposal when Lambeth Council opened it up for public comment – with only 15 out of 374 comments supporting the event.
“I think that the Common should be available for everyone all the time. It should never be the special privilege of a group,” said Professor Lawrence Goldman, a 68-year-old retired university professor who has lived on the south side of the Common for 12 years.
“It’s a very precious green lung in Clapham and in London and I think it’s an abuse of the Common to set it up for particular purposes, which are in their nature exclusionary.
“Like many Clapham residents I’m delighted that the application to turn the Common over to crowds watching World Cup football this summer has been withdrawn.
“This is good for the Common and good for local residents.
“I’ll be supporting England but the Common is not the right place for doing that.”
Categorised as a ‘major event’, the fan zone would have sectioned off 44,500 sqm of the north-east side of the Common and was estimated to host over 250,000 Londoners in total across 34 matches.
The event would have had two screens to broadcast the matches, two stages, food outlets, bars and many activities for fans to get involved with.
General Admissions tickets were set to remain under £10 which included one drink per ticket. Fan Parks had committed to donating 15p from every ticket to local charities which based on audience estimations could have equated to a donation of £37,500.
This is Clapham Business Improvement District (BID) conducted a survey with businesses across Clapham High Street, with the results showing that 63% expected a negative impact on trade.
79% anticipated a rise in crime and anti-social behaviour and only 10% saw any potential benefit.
Jeremy Keates, manager of This is Clapham BID, said: “Local businesses are generally very supportive of events in Clapham, as they play an important role in boosting footfall and supporting the wider visitor economy.
“The reaction to the proposed Football Fest on Clapham Common was more mixed. While some welcomed the opportunity to attract additional visitors to the area, licensed premises in particular raised strong concerns about the potential impact on their trade and additional costs involved in managing an increase in anti-social behaviour late at night.
“Looking ahead, this underlines the importance of Lambeth Council working closely with businesses and stakeholders to develop a clear events strategy for Clapham Common — one that supports the local economy, protects existing traders, and ensures events are planned in a way that works for residents, visitors and businesses alike.”
Locals raised concerns about litter, noise levels, transport disruption, environmental impact and the damage the event could have caused to the Common.
One business owner on Clapham High Street, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I feel a sense of relief that the proposed football fan park is not going ahead.
“Whilst I support events that increase footfall and visitors to the area, this proposal felt at odds with the local community.”
Others were looking forward to the event – like a 22-year-old resident and member of a local football team – who said: “It’s a shame it’s not going ahead; it looked like a great event for the community to come together to cheer on our nation.”
Although the target date for a decision on the application was set for 14 May, the applicant has withdrawn their application as of Wednesday 8 April.
Lambeth Council, Fan Parks London Ltd and their advisors were approached for comment.
Featured image credit: Finley Adams
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