Consultation on leaving gates unlocked at night

October 15, 2019
|In News
|By Chris Norris

Lambeth Landscapes (the Lambeth Council department which runs parks) is reviewing the existing practice of locking its parks, which apparently costs £82,000 a year in overtime. We have been told there is a £200,000 forecast overspend for parks and that difficult choices are to be made. One option is to stop locking parks in early 2020 and Lambeth Landscapes have asked us to discuss this with Friends of Ruskin Park members before a decision is taken.

This is not a proposal to open the park at night (apart from a possible east/west path, see below) or to change the bye-laws. It will remain illegal for people to be in the park in darkness hours.

Lambeth Landscapes say these measures (some of which were already planned) could mitigate the gates being unlocked:

  • Additional police officers (funded by Lambeth Council through the Partnership Plus scheme) with occasional evening and weekend patrols and ability to respond to specific Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) at night
  • The possibility that Lambeth Council will open, and light, the main east/west path during evening hours, and its adjacent sports facilities (i.e. tennis courts, and a potential new 3G football pitch, subject to planning and funding)
  • Notices on gates saying it is illegal to be in the park outside the designated opening hours, apart from any lit east/west path
  • A dedicated Park Attendant giving extra capacity to address/respond to issues in the park in general
  • Restricting vehicle access after 3pm

Members of Friends groups are being asked by Lambeth Landscapes to comment on these questions.

  • What ASB takes place at night presently that you are aware of?
  • What your specific concerns for the site would be if it was left open at night?
  • Would community volunteers consider taking on the locking/unlocking function and if so, what the implications might be?

Any other comments?

Please respond to info@friendsofruskinpark.org.uk by 1st November so that the FoRP trustees can collate responses to send on to Lambeth Landscapes.