Anti-social behaviour leads to removal of £132,000 Covid era picnic parklet in Derry city centre

Derry City & Strabane District Council’s Environment and Regeneration Committee backed dismantling the parklet at Waterloo Place at its February meeting.

A report brought before the committee recommended removal following engagement with local businesses and stakeholders, who were unhappy over repeated episodes of drink fuelled anti-social behaviour.

The committee was told that parklet was installed in 2022 and funded by the Department of Communities at a cost of £132,000 as part of its Recovery Revitalisation Project during the Covid pandemic to provide outdoor seating and open spaces were people could go during lockdowns.

The Council officer told elected representatives: “This temporary space has been used by members of the public and is generally populated during lunchtimes and periods of warmer and dryer weather.

"The parklet experienced some incidents of anti-social behaviour during the Spring/ Summer periods in 2022 and 2023. The anti-social behaviour was mainly associated with a small number of individuals entering the space, consuming alcohol and causing nuisance and annoyance to passers-by and local businesses."

A multi-agency approach to seek to address the concerns raised by surrounding businesses led to a reduction of such incidents, but recent focused engagement with business and tourism representative bodies, traders and police again identified “a renewed desire by the stakeholders for the furniture to be removed”.

DfC has confirmed it is content for Derry & Strabane Council to relocate the wooden seating, planters and whatever else it can re-use elsewhere in public areas of the city. The park itself will not be relocated elsewhere but will be dismantled and removed.

Proposing the committee accept the recommendation to dismantle the parklet, Sinn Féin Councillor Emma McGinley said her party had been contacted by local businesses raising concerns about the parklet.

Colr. McGinley also welcomed the fact that a lot of the materials in the park will be reused elsewhere.

SDLP Councillor John Boyle meanwhile said: “It’s disappointing, very, very disappointing that this type of idea, and level of investment that went into it, has brought us to this place. Let’s be frank about this, the few have spoiled it for the majority.

"As Colr. McGinley has said, we have to listen to the local businesses there if they are saying that anti-social behaviour as a result of the parklet being there is impacting on their businesses.

"I have personally used it myself but I could see on occasion why I wouldn’t go near it. There are elements who gather at it and some of their behaviour leaves a lot to be desired.

"It’s unfortunate, regrettable but I don’t see any other option at this point.”

Last summer it was said that removing the materials would cost the Council in the region of £40,000. But Council will now use its own direct labour force to carry out the dismantling works, which means these costs being absorbed within existing budgets.