Residents around one of London's most iconic viewpoints have reacted with fury after authorities erected solid, dark green hoarding in an "unprecedented" move to seal the park for New Year's Eve.
An 'Unprecedented' and 'Grotesque' Closure
Primrose Hill in Camden, famed for its panoramic views of the capital, has been completely closed to the public from 8pm on Tuesday 30 December until 6am on New Year's Day. The decision, taken by The Royal Parks charity, aims to prevent a repeat of last year when an estimated 30,000 people gathered for an unofficial viewing of the Mayor of London's fireworks display.
Amy McKeown, a local resident and member of the Primrose Hill Keepers volunteer group, told the Press Association she had left the area to celebrate elsewhere, describing the new barriers as "too grotesque to see". She compared the opaque hoarding and temporary fencing to structures used at major festivals like Glastonbury.
"The park has never been closed like this," Ms McKeown stated. "This is completely unprecedented. This is a public park where people should be able to come to watch the fireworks."
Police Restructuring and Public Safety Concerns
The closure follows the Metropolitan Police's November announcement that it would disband its dedicated Royal Parks police unit as part of efforts to address a £260 million funding gap. The Royal Parks charity had previously warned that its capacity to manage large crowds would be "severely diminished" following this change.
However, the Met has contested the direct link. A police spokesperson clarified that the closure decision was made by The Royal Parks, not the police, and noted that officers from the disbanded team constituted just 15 of the more than 145 officers deployed to the hill last New Year's Eve.
Commander Nick John, leading the Met's New Year's Eve policing, echoed the call for people to avoid the area: "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."
Local Backlash and Economic Fears
Long-term resident Catherine Usiskin, who has lived in Primrose Hill for over 40 years, labelled the fencing "an overreaction". "It's just ridiculous," she said. "You can't close down society." Ms Usiskin, whose neighbourhood falls partly in Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's constituency, expressed concern that the closure would harm local restaurants and pubs reliant on the festive footfall.
She also predicted that determined spectators would still attempt to access the park by climbing the barriers. Both residents criticised the significant resources being used to keep people out, contrasting it with the successfully policed and incident-free event in 2024.
The Royal Parks maintained that the decision was not taken lightly, emphasising that the previous gathering was an unorganised event in open parkland with limited controls for public safety. They confirmed they had worked with the Met to encourage people without official fireworks tickets to make other arrangements.
