Croydon tackles anti-social behaviour with outdoor gyms

A group of 10 people are standing on a tarmac path which is cutting through a park, with yellow-green grass on both sides. A row of trees lines the path on the right hand side. There is a purple ribbon in front of the group, and a man dressed in a blue suit and a woman in sunglasses and a Hi Vis vest are holding a pair of purple scissors, about to cut the ribbon. Trees and houses are also visible in the background.Harrison Galliven

A path in Norbury Park has been resurfaced in an attempt to tackle anti-social behaviour

Harry Craig
BBC News, London

More outdoor gyms are to be introduced by Croydon Council in a bid to tackle anti-social behaviour.

The council is also seeking to introduce more dog-walking zones and to deter cut-through riding on e-bikes.

Areas affected most by drug use and other issues, such as Upper Norwood Recreation Ground, will be targeted.

This is despite the financial pressures on the council, which has declared bankruptcy three times since 2020 and asked for a government bailout in February.

A man with brown hair and a ginger beard is standing in the foreground, looking at the camera. He is visible from the midriff upwards. He is wearing a grey suit with a light blue shirt, a grey-green striped tie, and a light purple lanyard. He is standing in a park, with a narrow grey tarmac path cutting through a field of yellow-green grass. There are trees a short distance from the path on both the left and right. It is a sunny day, with blue skies and a few white clouds in the sky.Harrison Galliven

Scott Roche is cabinet minister for streets and environment

Scott Roche, Croydon cabinet minister for streets and environment, said: "If a park gym is being used properly, you're not going to have people smoking weed there.

"We think outdoor gyms are a more strategic and inclusive use for a park. They're cheaper to introduce than new playgrounds, and they help tackle anti-social behaviour."

However, he admits that change is slower than he would like, and says money is the greatest challenge.

Croydon currently has 10 outdoor gyms, spread across the borough's 127 parks and green spaces.

Two women are standing in the middle, holding two large implements used for litter clearance. On the left, a woman with short blonde hair is wearing a brown-green T-shirt and bright green gloves, and is holding a red sweeper in both hands. On the right, a woman with mid-length grey hair is wearing sunglasses, a white shirt with blue floral decorations and a bright yellow Hi Vis vest, and is holding a litter grabber in her right hand. They are standing on a grey tarmac path, which is running through a field of yellow-green grass, with trees a short distance away on either side.Harrison Galliven

Friends of Norbury Park hold regular litter picks to improve the park's environment

The news comes as Mr Roche and mayor Jason Perry opened a newly resurfaced path in Norbury Park.

The area remains affected by e-bike misuse and rough sleeping, and speed bumps have been promised to deter cut-through riding.

However, Mr Roche said "we are restricted because it is a public space".

Jenni Rodgers, leader of Friends of Norbury Park, said the path marked progress, but that the park still "needs something here that people want to see".

A flood alleviation scheme for the area, which would protect 340 homes from flooding and boost biodiversity, has stalled since the pandemic.

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