Camden's Culture and Environment Scrutiny Committee has reviewed a petition calling for a permanent ban on charcoal barbecues in Waterlow Park, a popular green space in Highgate. The petition, initiated by the Highgate Village Green Preservation Society, has garnered over 1,000 signatures.
The committee considered the petition in light of existing policies and community discussions surrounding barbecue use in the park. The Culture and Environment Scrutiny Committee BBQ Petition document provides further details on the discussions.
Waterlow Park, gifted to the people of London in 1889 by Sir Sydney Waterlow as a garden for the gardenless
, has become an increasingly popular spot for barbecues. However, this popularity has led to concerns about the impact on the park's environment and resources.
Differing Viewpoints
Louise Lewis, who has been involved in designing the original rules for barbecuing and then supporting their implementation, submitted a deputation noting that barbecuers increasingly follow the rules from year to year. She added that, Where those who oppose barbecues, see noise, smoke and numbers, I see happiness, sociability and fun
.
Francis Wilkinson, Chair of the Waterlow Park Barbecue Working Group, presented the group's findings, noting that for all the reasons on which we have previously reported, the over-use of Waterlow Park for barbecuing has become unsustainable, and is likely to become more problematic and less sustainable in the future, and just carrying on more or less as we are with small adjustments is no longer viable
. The working group also cited reasons of principle against charcoal barbecuing, including air quality and forest depletion.
Rachel Kelly submitted a written statement clarifying that the working group's conclusions did not reflect the full range of views submitted, as some members were unable to attend the final meeting.
Council's Response
Camden Council has a long-standing policy of allowing informal barbecues in its parks, aiming to increase access to green spaces for residents, particularly those without gardens. However, the council has had to temporarily suspend BBQs twice this year due to warm weather and wildfire alerts. These suspensions are triggered by requests from the London Fire Brigade due to wildfire risk, and in response to Heat Health Amber alerts and Wildfire alerts via risk assessments during heatwaves and periods of drought.
Financial Implications
The existing controls around BBQs in the park are forecast to cost the Council £14,000 per year, mainly due to security patrols, additional toilet cleaning and extra waste management collections.
Committee Decision
Ultimately, the Culture and Environment Scrutiny Committee decided to take no further action at this stage. Instead, the committee has deferred to the Waterlow Park Barbecue Working Group and the Waterlow Park Trust Advisory Group (TAG) to continue discussions and find a balanced approach to manage barbecues in the park.
The Waterlow Park Barbecue Working Group met three times in 2024, with the aim of making a recommendation to Oliver Jones, Director of Recreation on behalf of Camden Council, who is also the Waterlow Park's trustee. The Culture and Environment Scrutiny Committee BBQ Petition report indicates that ongoing engagement with the TAG BBQ working group is the correct avenue for discussing and agreeing on the best approach for BBQs going forward.
