Fury over ‘grotesque’ fencing erected around popular London NYE fireworks viewing spot
Residents have spoken of their anger after “grotesque” green fences were erected around London’s Primrose Hill park in an attempt to stop New Year’s Eve revelry.
Camden park is a popular viewing spot for the capital’s famous fireworks display, with stunning views over the city.
An estimated 30,000 people celebrated New Year’s Eve here in 2024.
But this year it was closed to revelers, a decision the Royal Parks charity said was “not taken lightly” but was necessary to “ensure public safety”.
Residents in the area described the decision as “ridiculous” and an “overreaction”.
Local resident Amy McKeown said she left the area on Monday to celebrate New Year’s Eve with family elsewhere.
“I left the area,” he told the Press Association. “Too strange to see.”
Ms McKeown, who is part of the volunteer group Primrose Hill Keepers, added: “The park has never been closed like this before. It’s completely unprecedented.”
“This is a public park where people can come to watch the fireworks. That’s exactly what we should be encouraging people to do.”
“2024 [event] It was successfully policed and passed without incident. “We’ve gone from an open event to a situation where huge amounts of resources are being used to keep people out of the park.”
Catherine Usiskin, who has lived in Primrose Hill for more than 40 years, said fencing around the park was an “overreaction”.
“This is ridiculous,” he said. “You can’t shut down society.”
Ms Usiskin said the closure would hurt restaurants and bars in the area, but she believes people will still try to climb over fences and congregate in the park.
The Royal Parks charity, which runs Primrose Hill, has previously said its capacity to manage crowds of the size that usually follow a fireworks event will be “severely reduced”, in part due to the closure of the Metropolitan Police’s Royal Parks Operations Command Unit.
A spokesman for the charity said on Monday: “The decision to close Primrose Hill on New Year’s Eve was not taken lightly. Last year an estimated 30,000 people visited Primrose Hill to watch the Mayor of London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display.
“This was a meeting in open parkland, not an organized event with an event organiser, and there are limited controls we can put in place to ensure public safety. We have therefore decided to close and lock down Primrose Hill from 8pm on 30 December until 1 January.
“We are working closely with the Metropolitan Police, encouraging anyone who does not have a ticket to the Mayor of London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display to make alternative arrangements.”
The Metropolitan Police announced in November that it would disband the Royal Parks police, which responds to serious crime in green spaces such as Hyde Park and Primrose Hill, and seeks to plug a £260 million funding gap.
But a spokesman for the force said: “The decision to close Primrose Hill on New Year’s Eve was taken by the Royal Parks, not the police.
“It is incorrect to suggest that the decision was necessary as a result of the disbanding of the Royal Parks police team.
“The officers on this team were only 15 of the more than 145 officers deployed to Primrose Hill on New Year’s Eve last year. This is similar to the nature of deployments in previous years.”
Commander Nick John, responsible for the Met’s New Year’s Eve policing, said: “The Royal Parks are urging people not to try to gather in Primrose Hill this year and we will reiterate those calls.
“Please make alternative plans. Anyone trying to enter the park will find it is not possible.”
Scotland Yard confirmed there would be a police presence in Primrose Hill to “deal with crime” but added that it was not its responsibility to block access to the park.
During last year’s New Year’s Eve celebrations, teenager Harry Pitman was fatally stabbed at the scene.
Additional reporting by Press Association
