Kelvingrove Park gates locked to help manage large gatherings
Access to Kelvingrove Park is being changed to help address concerns about the large gatherings taking place in the park this summer.
Article Source: Glasgow City Council
Last Updated: 9 July 2020 12:17
Despite Covid-19 lockdown restrictions remaining place, Kelvingrove has seen thousands of people gather in the park, often without any regard for physical distancing.
The gatherings have also been linked to anti-social behaviour, such as public drinking, public urination, significant littering and disorder, which has included assaults on police officers.
The series of incidents has often deterred others from entering the park at times.
To help manage the open space more effectively on days when large numbers are anticipated, ten of the park's sixteen entrances will be closed with immediate effect for the remainder of the summer season. This means that visitors will be channelled through six entry points at key locations to the north, south, east and west of the park. The access points for the cycle route NCN 756, which passes through the park, will be retained.
On those days when large numbers are expected, council officers will be stationed at the gates with support from the police to remind visitors of the park management rules, including the prohibition on drinking alcohol. Anyone seeking to enter the park with alcohol will be either be asked to dispose of their alcohol before entering the park or refused entry. Additional bins will also be sited at the open gates on busier days.
Councillor Anna Richardson, City Convener for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction, said: "Going to the park has been a real lifeline during the Covid-19 emergency and throughout lockdown Kelvingrove Park has remained as one of Glasgow's favourite green spaces. Closing gates at Kelvingrove is the last thing we wanted to do, but we have to ensure the park remains a place that everyone can enjoy and feels safe going there.
"The mass gatherings we have seen recently have caused serious concerns, not only for the lack of physical distancing being observed, but also due to frequent reports of anti-social behaviour and disorder. The amount of waste that we regularly remove from the park, much of it linked to alcohol consumption, is also staggering.
"Limiting the number of entry points to the park means that on very busy days we can manage access more effectively, ensuring the park management rules are applied to all visitors.
Taking this necessary step will help to keep Kelvingrove as a welcoming place for all."
The changes to park access is a part of a wider effort to ensure Kelvingrove Park is safe and enjoyable environment for all visitors. Additional bins will be stationed at gates in support of the standard 40,000 litres of bin capacity in the park, which is often boosted with further additional capacity.
Mobile CCTV in the park will be enhanced and discussions on the feasibility of adding to the park's four permanent cameras are also underway. Licensing Standards Officers are also liaising with local licensed premises to ensure that licence holders are continuing to sell alcohol responsibly.
The council is also working with youth services providers across the north-west of Glasgow to ensure enhanced engagement with young people in the area. This work will involve highlighting the wider consequences on the community of large number of young people in the park and identifying alternative activities in local communities. The youth work will also involving liaising with other local authorities where young people are known to come from to visit the park.
The council has worked closely with Police Scotland to develop the response to concerns about mass gatherings in the park.
Chief Inspector Morag Lister, area commander at Greater Glasgow Division said: "Kelvingrove Park has recently been home to some deplorable scenes of violence, disorder and antisocial behaviour, including officers being assaulted in their endeavours to keep people safe.
"There is a minority group who are intent on using the park for purposes other than recreation and we have been working in close collaboration with Glasgow City Council to mitigate the risk that this group poses to the park's long-term sustainability and its thousands of other users. Sadly, those mitigation measures have resulted in the majority of the park's entrances being locked as a result of the behaviour of this minority group.
"The Chief Constable has made it clear that we are asking people to take personal responsibility to do the right thing and remember the purpose of these measures is to aid the collective effort to stay safe, protect others and save lives by preventing the virus from spreading.
"Our officers will continue to engage with the public, explain the legislation and guidance and encourage compliance. We will use enforcement as a last resort only where there is a clear breach of the legislation."
Entry points to the park will remain at Kelvingrove Street, Kelvin Way (south), Eldon St underpass for NCN 756, Eldon St, Park Gate and Royal Terrace for NCN 756.
Sponsored Links
Latest Glasgow News
Calling all runners... grab a FREE post race drink from Flight Club Glasgow
Flight Club is inviting Glasgow AJ Bell Great Scottish Run participants to celebrate their incredible effort with a complimentary drink on Sunday 5th October!
READ MORE
Flight Club is giving out hundreds of prizes on the streets of Glasgow in October
The team behind the home of Social Darts is embarking on a nationwide charity tour in celebration of its 10th birthday and dishing out treats to its fans along the way!
READ MORE
GlasGLOW adds extra week after 35,000 tickets snapped up in days
City's biggest Halloween show extended as nostalgia-fuelled 'Miles Better' theme takes Glasgow by storm, with new dates on sale on Wednesday 17th September at 7.30am!
READ MORE
Wedding venue Crossbasket Castle unveils exquisite new menu curated by Michelin starred chef Michel Roux
Scotland's premier five-star luxury wedding destination, Crossbasket Castle, has unveiled a new decadent wedding menu crafted exclusively by world-renowned Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux.
READ MORE
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland graduate joins full cast of Death on the Nile at the Theatre Royal
The full cast has been announced for Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile which comes to the Theatre Royal Glasgow in February.
READ MORE
Spooky season returns to town with the announcement of Paisley Halloween Festival 2025
Paisley Halloween Festival will return to town next month to celebrate the spooky season with a packed programme of frightful fun for all the family!
READ MORE
Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival returns for its 12th edition
Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival returns for its 12th edition on the big screen in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling and Inverness from 1st to 19th October 2025.
READ MORE
Matilda the Musical comes to Glasgow for the first time
The Royal Shakespeare Company's smash hit production of Matilda The Musical, based on Roald Dahl's beloved book, will come to Glasgow for the very first time in 2026!
READ MORE
Cineworld 4DX Rewind returns for 2025
Cineworld is excited to announce the return of 4DX Rewind this September across Cineworld 4DX cinemas nationwide!
READ MORE
A jewellery store in Glasgow Fort is doubling in size following investment
Family-owned national diamond, jewellery and watch retailer, Beaverbrooks, is doubling the size of its Glasgow Fort store with a £1.3m investment.
READ MORE
Forget a boring beige Christmas in Glasgow...
This festive season at SWG3, Bongo's Bingo is transporting everyone back to the time where coloured tree lights and flammable tinsel ruled supreme!
READ MORE
Final countdown to the AJ Bell Great Scottish Run 2025 is on
Scotland's greatest running event, the AJ Bell Great Scottish Run, will return to Glasgow next month, and there’s still time to secure your place.
READ MORE
Popular Sunday BBQ returns to Glasgow favourite Sebbs
One of Glasgow's favourites is flipping the idea of a traditional roast on its head with the return of its Sunday BBQ later this month.
READ MORE
Marstons and Tom Shepherd join forces once more to serve up the best ever pub pie
Marston's and Michelin-starred chef Tom Shepherd have teamed up once more to serve up The Best Ever Pub Pie to locals across the country.
READ MORE
Edinburgh Fringe smash hit Oran embarks on first UK tour
Òran, the award-winning sell-out hit of the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe embarks on its first ever UK tour this autumn as company Wonder Fools take their work to a host of venues across Scotland.
READ MORE
SOAPYFEST raises thousands for Beatson Cancer Charity and Marie Curie
The Barrowland Ballroom was filled with love, laughter, and music as friends, family and supporters came together for SOAPYFEST, raising over £18K in support of Beatson Cancer Charity and Marie Curie
READ MORE
M&Ds teams up with Zombie Infection for a heart pounding, live action horror attraction
M&D's is set to transform into Scotland's Scream Park with the launch of Zombie Checkpoint, a live action immersive horror experience creating a heart racing adventure not for the faint hearted.
READ MORE
Topgolf Glasgow launches new field goal challenge game this autumn
Topgolf Glasgow is bringing a taste of the gridiron to Scotland this autumn with the launch of its brand-new Field Goal Challenge game.
READ MORE
GlasGLOW sells over 20,000 tickets in first hour as fans rush to relive 80s magic
GlasGLOW fever has gripped Glasgow once again, with more than 20,000 tickets for this year's GlasGLOW's Miles Better show snapped up within just 60 minutes of being released.
READ MORE
Iconic films to take centre stage at Vue venues in Scotland
Iconic movies celebrating key milestones this year are returning to Vue for a limited run - including Steven Spielberg classic Jaws.
READ MORE
20 expert sessions at The Scottish Homebuilding & Renovating Show
The Scottish Homebuilding & Renovating Show will be packed with expert speakers when it returns to the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston on 4th – 5th October 2025.
READ MORE
A Taste of Loch Lomond Book launches with live cooking demo at the Loch Lomond Food & Drink Festival
Love Loch Lomond will officially launch its new publication, A Taste of Loch Lomond – Stories and Flavours from the Bonnie Banks, at the Loch Lomond Food & Drink Festival on Sunday 7th September.
READ MORE
Even more acts added to Tenement Trail 2025, set to take over the East End on Saturday 11th October
Multi-venue music festival taking over Glasgow's East End this October confirms Dead Pony and 14 new acts!
READ MORE
2025 Aye Write programme announced as tickets go on sale for annual book festival
Tickets will go on sale for Aye Write, Glasgow's long-established and much-loved book festival, at 11am today.
READ MORE
Seriously fun ideas for your work Christmas Party
It might only be September, but the C-word is not too far away, so it's time to start thinking about planning the annual office Christmas shindig before everything gets booked up!
READ MORE
Birds Fried Chicken launches collaboration series with Corner Shop
Birds Fried Chicken is taking its signature Southern-style fried chicken out of its natural Shawlands habitat and into new, unexpected settings with the launch of Rare Birds!
READ MORE
Buchanan Galleries champions Zero Waste Week with retailer initiatives for conscious consumers
Buchanan Galleries is marking Zero Waste Week (1 – 5 September 2025) by showcasing the centre's wide range of sustainable retail initiatives!
READ MORE
Business Gateway launches its first ever Scottish Start Up Month
Business Gateway, Scotland's national business support service, has launched Scottish Start-Up Month, a nationwide campaign to celebrate Scotland's entrepreneurial spirit.
READ MORE
Pop up play town brings big imaginations to little ones
A new role-play experience is popping up in community venues across Greater Glasgow this month bringing pint-sized professions and plenty of pretend fun to preschoolers and their families.
READ MORE
Local musicians to perform at outdoor charity concert at Nostrana restaurant
Summer may be over, but music festival season is still here, with an exciting outdoor concert in aid of Mary's Meals taking place in Glasgow's West End on Sunday 7th September.
READ MORESponsored Links
Sponsored Links