Permanent gates will be installed in Primrose Hill to prevent anti-social behaviour.
Temporary fencing at the edges of the park have been a common sight in Primrose Hill ever since The Royal Parks began to crackdown on night gatherings and anti-social behaviour during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic in April 2020.
Now the charity, which manages eight royal parks in London, has announced official gating will be placed at the entrances to replace the Heras fencing.
The park will continue to be closed to the public from 10pm until 6am the following morning on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays – as well as particular event days such as Bonfire Night, Halloween and New Year’s Eve.
This is in reaction to an engagement survey between November and December last year, which gathered the thoughts of residents and park visitors on anti-social behaviour, litter and noise complaints in the area.
The view from Primrose Hill (Image: Joseph Reaidi)
Complaints included loud music or fireworks, litter and cycling on unpermitted routes being an “often” occurrence.
While there has been fencing preventing access to the park during curfew hours, The Royal Parks says it is “unsightly” and “detracts from this important Grade II-listed landscape”.
Residents have also complained that the current measures are not enough, with revellers bypassing the gate and visiting the viewpoint late at night.
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Observing the night during the Bank Holiday weekend on April 29, the Ham&High witnessed people crawl through a gap between the fencing to access Primrose Hill.
Temporary fencing was pushed aside so people could sneak through a gap (Image: Joseph Reaidi)
The Royal Parks says a planning application will be submitted in the “coming months” for the permanent gates, allowing the public to comment on the design proposal.
A Royal Parks spokesperson said: “There have been very strong views on both sides of the debate between those who wish to see the park locked at night and those who wish to keep it open. It is, however, incumbent on the Royal Parks to take a balanced and proportionate decision, which it has now done.”
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