Well-heeled residents surrounding Primrose Hill have demanded the Victorian park be fenced off to stop ‘noisy yobs,’ taking it over for loud parties at night.
Locals living within a stone’s throw of the Grade II-listed public park – first opened to the public in 1842 have fumed over late night gatherings near their homes, which sell for an average of £1.2million.
At a public meeting this week, calls were made to fence off the 62-acre park in north London to stop people getting in – which would cost around £300,000.
Locals in the area, where one-bed homes sell for £500,000 and detached properties start at around £2m – say are sick and tired of putting up with the racket.
The parties have been compared to being like something from ‘the Wild West’, with hundreds of people turning up to unlicensed parties, where residents claim there was music blaring, drunkenness, drug deals, fighting and shouting at ‘all hours’.
Locals around Primrose Hill have compared late night parties to the ‘Wild West’, claiming there has been music blaring, drunkenness, drug deals, fighting and shouting at ‘all hours’
The Royal Parks’ director Nick Biddle was even drafted in to address the concerns of residents at hastily-convened meeting on Monday.
Cllr Patricia Callaghan, the Labour councillor for the Primrose Hill ward, said: ‘Many of us have campaigned against that idea (of having gates) in the past but times have changed.
‘Seeing what’s happening now, and believing it’s only going to get much worse as we head towards summer, we feel it’s necessary that gates are installed.’
She added: ‘Our concern is that as well as residents’ constant lack of sleep, it’s only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt up there.’
Locals held a meeting on Monday to discuss curbing overnight parties by installing a fence around the Victorian park after young people were seen gathering overnight
Police have fielded numerous complaints from locals – with many saying the parties kick off just after 9pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays – often with cars pumping out loud music as they drive the bashes.
Local Sue Johnson, 63, told the Camden New Journal newspaper this week that the situation was ‘unbearable’.
She said: ‘If police come the sound systems are turned off and they sit there quietly, or leave and congregate back on the streets around before heading back in after the police have gone.
‘It’s maddening*I’ve lived here over 35 years and it used to be safe but now it’s not very pleasant.’
Councillor Oliver Cooper, leader of Camden’s Conservative party, told the meeting: ‘It’s clear people gathering in the park have a complete sense of impunity. People aren’t merely breaching Covid regulation but causing fights and dealing drugs in the open.
Nick Biddle, the Royal Parks’ director, said the issue of fitting gates at the 19th century park was now being considered after complaints from locals
‘Primrose Hill is being advertised on social media as the place to go if you don’t want to be disturbed by police. It’s like the Wild West at night.’
Another local, Samuel Beech said: ‘You can hear the rave music blaring out as soon as they arrive in their awful cars.
‘Then they just go into the park and start playing their boomboxes at ear-splitting levels – they are up to all sorts over there and I’m not sure even a fence would keep them out.
‘They should cross the road and go to London Zoo, where they belong.’
Local Sue Johnson, 63, told the Camden New Journal newspaper this week that the situation was ‘unbearable’
Police Inspector Richard Berns, said: ‘Do I think gates would solve the problem? Yes. But I think that’s something park users would need to weigh up against their freedom to use the park when they want.
‘And it’s simply not a good use of police resources to have officers on the hill 24/7.’
‘These are not groups of criminal gangs we’re talking about, they’re just people, perhaps drinking and with sound equipment but unfortunately large gatherings do have a tendency to attract more unsavoury people and anti-social behaviour.’
Nick Biddle, the Royal Parks’ director, said the issue of fitting gates was now being considered, adding: ‘The park has been open all night for over 50 years with relatively few public noise issues during that time.
‘The current poor behaviour is wholly unacceptable and has almost certainly been driven by lockdown. We welcome the work of the police to enforce the law and deal with offenders.
‘We very much hope that as the coronavirus restrictions are relaxed, we will see the park return to normal.’
