Tower Hamlets Council has approached London Councils with a proposal to introduce fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for byelaw offences in parks and open spaces that are covered by Tower Hamlets Byelaws (see list of where this would apply below).
The byelaws are enforced by Tower Hamlets Enforcement Officers and are used to deal with unacceptable behaviour which is not addressed through other legislation, such as that which may cause distress or injury to other users of parks and open spaces or might damage these spaces and detract from their general enjoyment by the public.
At present if someone commits an offence under the Tower Hamlets Byelaws, they could be prosecuted through the Magistrates’ Court where the maximum fine that the court can impose is £500. The use of FPNs is considered a more appropriate way of dealing with less serious offences and Tower Hamlets Council can still consider prosecution through the courts for more serious offences.
The perceived benefits of this approach are as follows:
- It will reduce Enforcement Officer time spent preparing cases for court.
- It will increase officer time spent patrolling parks and open spaces.
- It will reduce court time spent dealing with less serious offences.
This consultation asks if you support this proposal, and the level of penalty.
The parks/grounds and open spaces that this would apply to under Byelaw 2 are:
Abbott Road Gardens |
Island Gardens |
Spitalfields Farm |
Ackroyd Drive Open Space |
Jesus Green |
St Annes Churchyard |
Albert Gardens |
Johnson's Drawdock |
St Bartholomews Gardens |
All Saints Church Yard |
Jolly's Green |
St Dunstan's Churchyard |
Allen Gardens |
King Edward Memorial Park |
St George's in the East |
Allen Gardens Play Area |
Kings Wharf |
St James Gardens |
Altab Ali Park |
Langdon Park |
St Johns Churchyard |
Alton Street Open Space |
Lenanton Steps |
St Johns Park |
Approach Road/Old Ford Road O. S. |
Leven Road Open Space |
St Matthews Church Garden |
Arbour Square Gardens |
Mallon Gardens |
St Matthias Church |
Archibald Open Space |
Marsh Wall/East Ferry Road |
Stepney Clock Tower |
Bartlett Park |
Mast House Terrace Playarea |
Stepney Green Gardens |
Baxendale Street Gardens |
Meath Gardens |
Stepney Green Park |
Beaumont Square Gardens |
Mellish Street |
Stonebridge Wharf |
Belgrave Open Space |
Mercers Burial Ground |
Stoneyard Lane Open Space |
Bethnal Green Gardens |
Middleton Green |
Swedenborg Gardens |
Bonner Hall Gate |
Mile End Park |
The Oval |
Boundary Gardens |
Millwall Park |
Three Colt Street/Mitre Site |
Bow Churchyard |
Mudchute Farm |
Tower Hamlets Cemetery |
Braithwaite |
Museum Gardens |
Trafalgar Gardens |
Bromley Recreation Ground |
Paradise Gardens |
Tredegar Square |
Burdett Road Bus Terminus |
Pennyfields Open Space |
Trinity Gardens |
Canrobert Street Open Space |
Pollard Square |
Trinity Square Gardens |
Cantrell Road Open Space |
Poplar High Street/Preston's Road |
Twelve Trees Crescent |
Carlton Square |
Poplar Parkway |
Vallance Road Gardens |
Carlton Square Gardens |
Poplar Recreation Ground |
Vaughan Way Open Space |
Cavell Street Gardens |
Prospect Park |
Victoria Park |
Christchurch Gardens |
Raines Mansions |
Virginia Gardens |
Cotton Street/Bazely Street |
Ravenscroft Park |
Wapping Gardens |
Devons Road Ambulance Station - Grass Verge |
Rectory Gardens |
Wapping Green |
Dockers Tanner Road |
Rope Walk Gardens |
Wapping Rose Gardens |
Fern Street Open Space |
Ropemakers Fields |
Wapping Woods |
Ford Square |
Rounton Road Open Space |
Warner Green Open Space |
Furze Green Open Space |
Royal Mint Square |
Waterside Gardens |
Glamis Adventure Playground |
Schoolhouse Kickabout Area |
Weavers Fields |
Globe Road Open Space |
Selwyn Green |
West India Dock Road |
Gosling Gardens |
Shacklewell Street 1O'Clock Club |
White Horse Lane Open Space |
Great Eastern Slipway |
Shacklewell Street Ball Games Area |
Whitehorse Road Park |
Grove Hall Park |
Shandy Park |
Wyvis Street Open Space |
Hellings Street |
Sidney Square Gardens |
York Square Gardens |
Ion Square Gardens |
Sir John McDougal Gardens |
In addition, the grounds referred in Byelaw 3(1) relating the opening times are:
Albert Gardens |
Arbour Square Gardens |
Bethnal Green Gardens |
Carlton Square |
Grove Hall Park |
King Edward Memorial Park |
Museum Gardens |
Paradise Gardens |
Poplar Recreation Ground |
Tower Hamlets Cemetery |
Tredegar Square |
Trinity Square Gardens |
Victoria Park |
Wapping Gardens |
Wapping Rose Gardens |
York Square Gardens |
The consultation will run for a period of six weeks from 19 December 2022 to 30 January 2023.