Fencing will block off Primrose Hill this weekend in the latest attempt to curb antisocial behaviour at night.
The Royal Parks say the Heras fencing at all park entrances is a trial “over the next few weekends” to “break the current pattern of behaviour”.
The Met says that increased police resources put into tackling problems around Primrose Hill are “unsustainable in the medium to long term” due to the easing of lockdown.
The move came as police placed a section 35 dispersal order on Camden Town and Primrose Hill, which gives officers the power to exclude people from a particular area.
The dispersal measure will last from 6pm on Friday to 6pm on Sunday.
On the installation of fencing, Inspector Paul Clarke, from the Primrose Hill neighbourhood policing team, said: “I fully appreciate that there will be some people that are upset by this decision, but the need to weigh up people’s right to use the Hill unhindered, against the health and welfare concerns of local residents due to the ongoing weekend night time issues, is something that needed to be fully considered.
“This has been a long running issue for local residents that needed a wider solution than just policing due to competing and more serious demands for our attendance that can come from across Camden and Islington.
“The police have put a considerable amount of resources into trying to deal with the issues on Primrose Hill and these were unsustainable in the medium to long term due to the reopening of the night time economy as a result of the easing of COVID restrictions.”
Primrose Hill has been closed overnight at the weekends since April, but this has been implemented only via signage and police patrols.
The move has divided the local community, with many neighbours supporting the decision, while others say it infringes their access to a public park.
A spokesperson for The Royal Parks said it was “continuing to work closely with the police in their duty of enforcing the law”.
The spokesperson continued: “As a temporary measure to support them in breaking the current pattern of anti-social behaviour at Primrose Hill, we are trialling the installation of fencing at the park gates over the next few weekends, after the police have cleared the park.
“This weekend the park will be closed from 10pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We will keep the situation under review.”
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