Wandsworth Byelaws Fixed Penalty Notices

Wandsworth 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 Wandsworth Byelaws (see list of where this would apply below). At the moment these byelaws are enforced by prosecution. This consultation asks about introducing FPNs for byelaw offences in these parks and open spaces instead.

The byelaws are enforced by Wandsworth Council’s Parks & Events Police 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 Wandsworth 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 Wandsworth Council can still consider prosecution through the courts for more serious offences.

The perceived benefits of this approach are as follows:

• It will reduce Parks Police Officer time spent preparing cases for court.
• It will increase Parks Police Officer time spent patrolling parks and open spaces.
• It will reduce court time spent dealing with less serious offences.

The consultation asks if you support this proposal, and the level of penalty.

Only the following parks and open spaces could be affected by this proposal

Barn Elms Sports Centre, SW13 (Barnes)
Battersea Rise Cemetery, SW11 (Northcote)
Bramford Gardens, SW18 (Fairfield)
Causeway Spit, SW18 (Fairfield)
Christchurch Gardens, SW11 (Latchmere)
Coronation Gardens, SW18 (Southfields)
Cunliffe Street Open Space, SW16 (Furzedown)
Dover House Road Playing Fields, SW15 (Roehampton)
Elspeth Road Open Space, SW11 (Shaftesbury)
Falcon Park, SW11 (Latchmere)
Fishponds Playing Fields, SW17 (Tooting)
Fountain Road Recreation Ground, SW17 (Tooting)
Fred Wells Gardens, SW11 (St Mary’s Park)
Furzedown Recreation Ground, SW17 (Furzedown)
Garratt Lane Old Burial Ground, SW18 (Fairfield)
Garratt Park, SW17 (Earlsfield)
Godley Gardens, SW18 (Wandsworth Common)
Harroway Road Open Space, SW11 (St Mary’s Park)
Heathbrook Park, SW8 (Queenstown)
Huguenot Burial Ground, SW18 (Fairfield)
John Burns Playground, SW11 (Shaftesbury)
King George’s Park, SW18 (Southfields)
Latchmere Recreation Ground, SW11 (Latchmere)
Lavender Gardens, SW11 (Shaftesbury)
Leader’s Gardens, SW15 (Thamesfield)
Montefiore Gardens, SW8 (Queenstown)
Openview Sports Ground, SW18 (Wandsworth Common)
Petergate Open Space, SW11 (Latchmere)
Putney Lower Common Cemetery, SW15 (Thamesfield)
Putney Old Burial Ground, SW15 (East Putney)
Putney Park Lane, SW15 (West Putney)
Queenstown Road Open Space, SW8 (Queenstown)
Shillington Street Open Space, SW11 (Latchmere)
Swaby Gardens, SW18 (Earlsfield)
The Pleasance, SW15 (West Putney)
Tooting Gardens, SW17 (Tooting)
Upper Tooting Park, SW17 (Nightingale)
Waterman’s Green, SW15 (Thamesfield)
York Gardens, SW11 (Latchmere)

Next steps

The results of the consultation will be published by London Councils in June and subject to the results of the consultation, a final decision as to whether fixed penalty notices will be introduced is expected later in the summer.