The overnight closure of Primrose Hill on weekends will finish in December, The Royal Parks has announced.
Fencing introduced in April 2020 to curb antisocial behaviour will be gradually phased out over the following weeks, before it fully reopens to the public.
The park will continue to be closed at 10pm on Friday and Saturday evenings for the next two weekends, but will be open on Sunday, November 21 and the following Sunday.
On Saturday, December 4, and Sunday, December 5, the park will be open overnight. From then onwards people will be able to access Primrose Hill 24 hours a day, seven days a week – as it was before measures were installed.
A spokesperson for The Royal Parks, which manages the site, said: “As city life returns to normal, police evidence shows there has been a sharp decline in the number of recent reported incidents of antisocial behaviour, dropping from 46 reports in July to just four in October.
“We are re-opening the park in a phased way in order to monitor the impact on particular weekend evenings.
“We will continue to work closely with the police to assess how it’s going and to respond accordingly if we start seeing an increase in noise disturbances and anti-social behaviour.”
The decision to put up fencing divided the local community, with many neighbours supporting the move to tackle late-night disruption.
However others said it damaged their access to a public space, with a petition launched to remove the fencing.
A Royal Parks spokesperson added: “Primrose Hill has been a safe and pleasant environment for the local community for half a century, during which time the park has, until this year, always been open for visitors 24 hours a day to enjoy the iconic and protected view across London.
“We hope that with the gradual re-opening of the park, visitors will continue to be mindful of others and to respect the park and local residents.”
The early closure of Primrose Hill on New Year’s Eve at 10pm will remain.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here