Lee Bennett with Suggs from Madness

A THREE-day music festival planned for Camden Town has triggered objections from people living close to the Lock.

The Camden Music Festival is scheduled to begin on September 12 with stages in the street for star acts such as disco legends Sister Sledge, ska champs The Specials and Soul II Soul’s Jazzie B.

It has been organised by the team behind the Music Walk of Fame which has decorated Camden High Street with pavement plaques honouring live music greats.

Performances will take place in Camden High Street, Buck Street, Ingress Road and Hawley Crescent, although a proposed stage in Jamestown Road has been cut from the proposal.

Tickets will be on sale for VIP areas and the Hawley Crescent stage – but the rest of the festival is free, with council licensers due to reach a verdict on the event at a meeting tonight (Thursday).

Henry Conlon, landlord of the Dublin Castle music pub in Parkway, said: “I don’t see what residents have to fear. Something like this puts Camden on the global map – it’s another enhancement recognising Camden for being a centre of live music globally. To say we can’t have a mini-music festival would be a bit poor really. The festival could be pivotal for lots of other businesses, bringing employment and money into Camden Town.”

But some residents have contacted the New Journal with concerns about the festival and how it will be managed.

Caroline Dyott, who lives in a social housing block in Jamestown Road, said: “They say they are leaving the pavement but it’s still going to be an enclosure selling alcohol and that’s the same for the other streets. It’s just a bit intrusive that there will be a fence in front of where I live. I feel we’ve been completely discounted as residents.

“I expect when it happens I’ll have to move out for the weekend – it will be unliveable.”

Ms Dyott added: “They’ve just recently re-routed all the buses down Hawley Crescent. If that is closed, what monster diversion will be in place that weekend? They can’t be serious.”

Another Jamestown Road tenant said: “We already have issues with noise. I understand that is a part of living in Camden but even people living in Camden need to sleep.”

The capacity for the enclosure at Jamestown Road during the festival is 1,000 people.

A Camden Council spokesperson said: “We want to support events in Camden that bring people together while ensuring they are delivered in a way that works for our residents. The Camden Music Festival is still subject to approval, and organisers have engaged with residents and businesses – including a recent public meeting at Castlehaven Community Centre. In response to concerns, the organisers have made significant changes to the event plans by removing the stage at Jamestown Road which will now only serve as a food and beverage area with additional security presence.

Lee Bennett, from the Music Walk of Fame, said: “We decided to do away with a Stage on Jamestown Road allowing the residents and businesses there to not be disturbed and hopefully benefit.

“Although this seems like a big event when one hears the word ‘festival’, it actually is quite scaled down with the most attendees in the four enclosures totalling only 4,500. with not a huge promotion to attract more to the area on top of existing shoppers and tourists. 2,500 of that figure are ticketed on Hawley Crescent “The Festival is a celebration of Camden and I am able to call on favours to be able to attract up and coming artists and of a nature to help bring the festival to life.”