Residents near Primrose Hill have expressed anger after opaque green hoarding was installed around the park to prevent people from watching the New Year’s Eve fireworks. The Camden park, which offers panoramic views of London, welcomed an estimated 30,000 revellers in 2024. This year, however, the gates will be locked from 8pm on Tuesday until 6am on New Year’s Day.
Parts of the park have been cordoned off with solid hoarding and temporary fencing, while other sections are protected by temporary barriers. Amy McKeown, a local resident and member of the Primrose Hill Keepers volunteer group, was quoted by other outlets said: “I have left the area. It is too grotesque to see. The park has never been closed like this. This is completely unprecedented. 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.”
The closure follows the announcement in November that the Metropolitan Police would disband the Royal Parks police, which previously helped respond to serious incidents in green spaces such as Hyde Park and Primrose Hill. The force stated, however, that the decision to close Primrose Hill was made by the Royal Parks charity, not the police. Officers from the Royal Parks team accounted for just 15 of the more than 145 officers deployed to Primrose Hill on New Year’s Eve last year, a similar proportion to previous years.
A spokesperson for the Royal Parks charity said the closure was necessary because the 2025 event is “not an organised event with an event organiser but a gathering in open parkland,” and the charity has limited capacity to manage large crow safely. Last year, approximately 30,000 people visited the hill to view the Mayor of London’s fireworks display. The park will remain locked from 8pm on 30 December until 1 January. Visitors without tickets to the fireworks are encouraged to make alternative arrangements.
Catherine Usiskin, a resident for over 40 years, was quoted in the Standard as calling the installations “an overreaction” and said the closure would have a negative impact on local pubs and restaurants. “It’s just ridiculous. It’s such an over-reaction. You can’t close down society”
Commander Nick John, responsible for New Year’s Eve policing in London, confirmed there would be a police presence at Primrose Hill to respond to criminal incidents, but stressed that preventing access to the park is not a policing responsibility. He urged the public to heed the Royal Parks’ advice and make alternative plans.
The decision has prompted concern among residents who say the park has traditionally been an open space for community gatherings, and that the closure represents a major shift in how public spaces are managed during large-scale events.
