BAN BBQS AT WATERLOW PARK

 

 

 

 

 

02 June 2025

Camden Council banned BBQs in Waterlow Park on 10th April 2025 due to anti-social behaviour. Shortly after that they banned BBQs in all their open spaces due to dry weather and fire risk; with recent rain Camden Council have reversed the BBQ bans related to fire risk; the BBQ ban in Waterlow Park remains in place ...... for now.

Please help us keep the pressure on Camden to make the Waterlow Park BBQ ban permanent by encouraging everyone you know to sign the petition and also by writing to parks@camden.gov.uk to tell them your thoughts on the Waterlow Park BBQ situation - and don't forget to add how wonderful the park is currently without BBQs. 

30 May 2025

30 May 2025
Dear Supporters

We have been in communication with Camden Council as per the email chain below.

We still don't know how long the temporary BBQ ban is in place for!

We still don't know if/when Camden propose to change their underlying BBQ policy [which currently permits BBQs in all Camden open spaces, albeit with a current temporary ban] to one which prohibits BBQs permanently;

We still don't know why Camden allow polluting charcoal BBQs in direct contradiction to their clean air project and policies;

We still don't know why Camden, by having a policy to allow charcoal BBQs in all open spaces [albeit with a current temporary ban], insists on being at odds with every other 31 London Boroughs, thus inviting the predictable influx of motorists from across London to BBQ in Camden [more pollution!] 

We will keep you posted

Best wishes

Helen

 

18 May 2025
Dear Supporters

The Ban BBQs in Waterlow Park petition has been submitted to Camden Council and will be presented to the Environment and Culture Committee mid July [this is the date of the next committee meeting; exact date tbc].

This committee will not make a decision - they will review the submission and make a recommendation to Camden Council.

As we still don't know (1) how long the current temporary BBQ Ban is in place for and (2) if Camden Council propose to change their BBQ policy to make the ban permanent, we are leaving the petition open and encouraging people to continue to sign to support a permanent ban.

If you see anyone BBQing in the park, please tell a park warden [if available] and report to Camden Council on 0207 974 4444. You may need to leave a message.

Best wishes

Helen

29 April 2025 Petition has been submitted

Thank you all for signing the petition; the petition has been submitted to Camden Council, however, it is still open for others to add their signature so please keep encouraging people to sign up!

I have not yet heard from Camden what the 'next steps' are regarding the petition request, or time frame for when a decision on BBQs may be reached.

I will keep you posted!

Best wishes

Helen

10 April 2025 UPDATE

PARTIAL SUCCESS!!!!

Thank you to all who have signed the petition.

Camden have today announced a 'halt' to barbecues in Waterlow Park, which is excellent and we are pleased they have heeded public opinion, however, as you will see from the official Camden letter below, they have resisted a permanent total ban. We are therefore asking people to continue to sign the petititon until we get assurance from Camden that a permanent barbecue ban will be put in place.

OFFICIAL LETTER FROM CAMDEN PARK SERVICES MANAGER:

From:  Contact for publishing: <parks@camden.gov.uk> 
Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2025 at 09:21
Subject: Waterlow Park and BBQs
To: tag@waterlowparktrust.org.uk <tag@waterlowparktrust.org.uk>

Dear TAG, 

Please find below, an updated position about BBQs at Waterlow Park. Camden’s parks are vital spaces for our residents. Two out of five of our residents do not have access to a garden at their home and our parks offer beautiful spaces to relax, socialise and exercise. We want everyone to enjoy themselves and this means we will keep our policy of allowing barbecues in our parks in the summer under regular review. We will not be allowing barbecues in Waterlow Park, which has seen large BBQ parties that have disturbed other users of the park. During the coming weeks, we will be keeping other parks under review. From today, we will be updating our website, putting up NO BBQ banners at Waterlow Park and requesting a security patrol for the weekend.  We will also liaise with colleagues and staff to update them.  We might need to be prepared for it to take a little while for the messaging to change behaviour. We will be taking a communications led approach.  I will ask security, if they encounter BBQs in the park, to ask people to extinguish and dispose of them as soon as possible, and not to return to the park to BBQ in the future.  We will keep the BBQ bins operational and serviced for a couple of weeks while we go through this process.

Park Services Manager

Recreation Services
Supporting Communities
London Borough of Camden

 

ORIGINAL PETITION started 05 April 2025: 

The Highgate Village Green Preservation Society is representing Waterlow Park Users by setting up an on-line petition to communicate local concern to Camden Council about their continued support of barbecues.

Highgate Village Green have heard your concerns, especially that you feel heartbroken to see the degradation of the park environment as a consequence of summer barbecues and that barbecues undermine your enjoyment of the park.

Local residents are against the use of Waterlow Park for barbecues for the following reasons:

1. We are concerned by issues relating to the burning of Charcoal in the Park, including:

Air particle pollution, Smell pollution, Smoke pollution, and the consequent Environmental Damage to trees, grass and wildlife and the Impact of Charcoal Smoke on Health*

2. We are concerned by the associated impact of Barbecues on the Park, including:

Litter, food waste, rubbish awaiting collection, the visual pollution of information signs and industrial ash bins, and the long term impact upon bio-diversity.

Camden is the only London Borough supporting use of charcoal barbecues in their open spaces; we propose to ask Camden to withdraw this policy so that they are in-line with their own policies under Camden Clean Air Action Plan 2023-2026. *www.Camden.gov.uk/air-quality

As well as signing this petition, please report incidents of air pollution to Camden Council here: https://www.camden.gov.uk/report-air-pollution

05 April 2025;  Contact: hvgps@outlook.com  www.highgatehq.co.uk

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