Arts organisations could be hit with large clean-up bills for London events, if a new bill becomes law. The ‘London Local Authorities and Transport for London (No. 2) Bill’ includes a provision for traffic authorities and borough councils to “recover from the organisers of large-scale public events, like football matches or concerts, the cost of any additional traffic management and street cleaning needed as a result of those events”. Exemptions have been made for “any entertainment put on at any theatre” and “the showing of a film at any cinema”, but other outdoor cultural events could be affected. The current wording of the Bill does not define “large-scale public events”. Bill Gee, Chair of Independent Street Arts Network told AP that “ambiguity in legislation could have serious implications for… free non-commercial events”, and said that “the definition of non-commercial events should more clearly include all [those with] a community benefit – such as carnivals, festivals and other free outdoor arts events”. The Bill exempts events “organised by the Olympic Delivery Authority or the London Organising Committee”, but it is not yet clear whether all Cultural Olympiad events will be protected. A London Councils’ spokesperson told AP, “While London boroughs are keen to encourage all contributions to culture in the capital, it is important to recognise that some events can disrupt the lives of local residents and the services provided for them.”
