For the first time ever, the gates to Primrose Hill will be locked on New Year's Eve, preventing the public from using the iconic viewpoint to watch London's fireworks. The unprecedented decision by The Royal Parks charity has sparked anger and dismay among local residents, who describe the move as a 'grotesque' overreaction.
Unprecedented Closure Sparks Local Fury
The royal park, which offers panoramic views of central London, will be shut from 8pm on Tuesday 31 December until 6am on New Year's Day. Solid green hoardings and temporary fencing have been erected to cordon off the area. This follows an estimated 30,000 people gathering there to celebrate the new year in 2024.
Amy McKeown, a local resident and part of the Primrose Hill Keepers volunteer group, expressed her shock. 'The park has never been closed like this. This is completely unprecedented,' she said. 'This is a public park where people should be able to come to watch the fireworks. This is exactly what we should be encouraging people to do.'
Another long-term resident, Catherine Usiskin, who has lived in the area for over 40 years, labelled the fencing 'an overreaction' and 'ridiculous'. She warned that the closure would harm local businesses like restaurants and pubs, and predicted people would still try to access the park by climbing the barriers.
Safety Concerns and Policing Changes
The closure comes amid growing safety concerns, most notably following the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Harry Pitman in the park on New Year's Eve 2023. His killer, Areece Lloyd-Hall, was jailed for at least 16 years in November.
It also follows the Metropolitan Police's decision to disband its dedicated Royal Parks Operational Command Unit in November, a move intended to help address a £260 million funding gap. The Royal Parks charity stated that without this unit, its capacity to manage large crowds would be 'severely diminished'.
However, the Met Police has contested this link. A spokesperson stated: 'It is not accurate to suggest the decision was necessary as a result of the disbanding of the Royal Parks policing team.' They noted that officers from that team constituted just 15 of the more than 145 officers deployed to the hill last year.
A Wider Context of Park Crime
The debate over Primrose Hill's closure touches on broader anxieties about crime in London's green spaces. Criminal incidents reported across the Royal Parks increased from 76 in 2022/23 to 101 in 2023/24. Other serious incidents in recent years include:
- Violent robberies targeting cyclists in Regent's Park, where victims have been threatened with hammers.
- A machete attack in Hyde Park in June 2021, where a man was chased and hacked to the ground by a gang.
- A rise in mobile phone snatching, drug dealing, and sexual offences.
Commander Nick John, in charge of the Met's New Year's Eve policing, echoed The Royal Parks' plea: 'The Royal Parks are urging people not to try to gather at Primrose Hill this year and we would echo those calls. Please make alternative plans. Anyone trying to access the park will find that it is not possible.'
The Royal Parks charity reiterated that the decision 'was not taken lightly', emphasising that the large gathering is not an organised event with proper safety controls. Scotland Yard confirmed there would still be a police presence in the area to 'respond to criminality', but stated that preventing access to the park itself is not its responsibility.
