Dear Mayor Fiaz, Councillor Gulamussen, Councilor Makwana, Sir Stephen Timms,

We the undersigned write on behalf of our community.  We are sincerely concerned about Newham councils lack of engagement and concern with the safety issues in Plashet Park.  

Following the tragic murder of a person in the park on 27th July we are writing to express our disgust with the lack of action on the part of the council, despite repeated requests for safety measures to be introduced in the park.  

The Ward Panel and Plashet Park Neighborhood Association  have repeatedly asked the council to take the following actions to support greater safety and discourage antisocial behavior in the park.  These have been areas of concern since the murder of another young person in Plashet Park in 2017.  

Our requests:

1) There needs to be functioning CCTV in the park - this is to limit antisocial behavior, but also to support the police to do their job should there be criminal activity in the park.  

2) The railings on the outside of the park need to be repaired, to keep the park secure and locked when it is closed.  Alongside this the park needs a full time park warden, to lock up and empty the park at the end of the day. 

3) The cricket nets and Multi Use Games Areas (MUGAs) need to be locked properly, and only open to those who book them (as in West Ham Park).  The MUGA spaces continue to attract antisocial behavior and drug dealing. 

These requests have been discussed with our local police community safety officers, and they agree that the above actions would support better policing in the area.  

We, the undersigned, would like to understand the barriers to getting these actions undertaken - particularly when such functions operate in other local parks.  

It is not acceptable that someone has to lose their life in order for the council to take action, but we are hoping that this provides some impetus for action.

Regards