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ePetition details
Ban barbecues from Wimbledon Park
The local community and regular park users are being deprived of
using the park on warmer days because of the disruption and
disrespect caused mostly
by non-locals using barbecues.
• Dogs and children are picking up broken glass, discarded
food, chicken bones and discarded charcoal, causing injuries and
poisoning
• When bins are full litter is left at the side of bins where
foxes rip open bin liners and scatter the waste over the park
• Parties of 50 or more with commercial barbecues and gazebos
are being ferried from out of the area, since everyone knows
Wimbledon Park is "fair
game"
• Id Verde spend their whole time clearing up and have to
bring in outside help to clean up
• Barbecues are often still burning the following day
• The Fire Brigade have complained about being called out to
Wimbledon Park to tackle barbecue fires
• Individuals have been lighting barbecues in the children's
play areas and close to the woods despite being asked not to
• The park is so crowded that the Woods are being used as a
public facility. We see individuals entering with toilet paper but
never emerging with
waste for disposal as dog walkers would, should their animals
defecate
• The grass is being scorched by those using disposal
barbecues, causing yet more damage and work for Id Verde
• Local residents are unable to park their cars due to the
influx of large people carriers transporting individuals to their
barbecue
• Disturbances at the Revelstoke Road entrance have been
reported on numerous occasions where barbecues continue after the
park closes
• The hazards and pollution caused by barbecues is well
documented yet the Council encourages them by placing barbecue bins
around the park
The whole situation is out of control and the only way forward
is to ban barbecues altogether from Wimbledon Park. At a time when
parks are trying to cut back on the cost of clearing litter this is
fuelling the problem - Who is paying for this clean up?
This ePetition ran from 01/03/2019 to 12/06/2019 and has now finished.
821 people signed this ePetition.
Council response
Thank you for your petition.
The issue of BBQs at Wimbledon Park (and more widely) has been monitored and considered by the Council during the past several years. Without overtly promoting Wimbledon Park as a venue for BBQs, there has unquestionably been an increase in this park’s usage for this purpose but the demands are very much less in other parts of the borough, including those where there is no enforcement of any BBQ restrictions. Overall, the Council does not consider that there is a significant BBQ “problem” in Merton.
The Council believes that its recent approach is pragmatic and sensible. Whilst BBQs are not trouble-free, most especially in relation to waste and littering, this needs to be balanced against the leisure-time and social benefits that BBQs bring at a time when recreational pursuits and trends are evolving, in part driven by changes in the cultural and demographic landscape of the borough and by factors in the economy within London which mean that there are an ever-increasing number of residents who do not enjoy their own private gardens in which to enjoy an outdoor BBQ with friends and family at home. It may be no coincidence that the demand for BBQs is much more marked in the more heavily urbanised parts of the borough, around Wimbledon Park for example, than it is in its more suburban neighbourhoods.
The local authority has always considered Wimbledon Park to be its premier open space. The park features a range of facilities and services, some of which are of regional importance and understandably, therefore, it enjoys a high annual footfall. It is evidently not a park that is designed to serve local needs alone. It attracts visitors from many parts of London and from around the globe too and not only at times of the Wimbledon Championships.
As a whole, Merton enjoys many fine parks, gardens and Commons that cater for all manner of recreational pursuits and interests. These open spaces are appreciated by tourists and local people alike and generally enjoyed in an environment of tolerance and mutual respect. The local authority welcomes this and the social and economic benefits that visitors bring.
The Council’s policy position on BBQs was considered by members during the second half of last year and the outcome was that the Council does not plan to adopt a policy that comprises a permanent, year-round ban on BBQs in any of its own parks and open spaces at this time. This is consistent with the view of the current Cabinet Member for Commerce, Leisure & Culture.
The Council will, however, continue to review the issue of BBQs in its parks and when, on balance, it is sensible to do so it may enforce a temporary ban on BBQs as it did during the peak of the summer heatwave of 2018. It will also listen to and consider the advice and recommedations of the London Fire Brigade as it did last year.