Families living near Gloucester Park have voiced serious concerns over ongoing issues relating to public drinking, drug use, and unsafe behaviour in and around the green space. Over the past six to twelve months, the area-particularly near Christ Church on Brunswick Road and in the park itself-has seen repeated unauthorised encampments.
At a Gloucester City Council meeting on 24 September, residents described episodes of threatening and disruptive conduct by some individuals occupying tents in the area. Mark Pietroni represented a group of 12 local residents from the Montpellier neighbourhood, explaining that a children’s martial arts club had been notably impacted by the situation.
The residents are urging the council to introduce a public space protection order to prohibit alcohol and drug consumption, public urination and defecation, overnight pitching of tents, and excessive noise within the park. They also want improvements including monitored CCTV, fully functioning street lighting, and locked park gates overnight.
READ MORE: Eight key unanswered questions remain in suspected terror plot near RAF Fairford
READ MORE: Update on RAF Fairford: Police Disclose Findings from Suspicious Vans
Regular police patrols during both day and night hours are also being requested to enhance safety. Specific worries were raised about groups gathering near the aviary, engaging in smoking substances such as cannabis, inhaling nitrous oxide, drinking alcohol, alongside exhibiting aggressive behaviour and public urination.
Mr Pietroni reported: “Families using the park and residents opposite have faced aggressive language, threatening behaviour, public defecation, and persistent late-night noise. The accumulation of tents, makeshift furniture, and rubbish has significantly changed the character of the area.”
He further detailed the impact on the martial arts club at Montpellier Community Hall, where the instructor has frequently had to clean up human waste and collect sharps from around the premises, accumulating two full sharps containers. Despite appealing for council assistance, residents say little support has been provided. Mr Pietroni claimed that the hall owner was once threatened with a fine if she did not clear rubbish left by those living in tents nearby, and later purchased a fence from the council costing approximately £5,000.
Police action has recently led to the removal of some encampments, an effort welcomed by the community; however, tents have since reappeared. Highlighting the proximity of these events to Park House School and nearby homes with young children, residents expressed concern over safeguarding and the risks posed by these behaviours. They also noted an increase in car and house break-ins in the area, a trend unfamiliar to them until recently.
Councillor Rebecca Trimnell, who was cabinet member for community engagement at the time, acknowledged the importance of the residents' concerns. She emphasised the need for effective, proportionate action and welcomed an opportunity to meet with the community to discuss possible solutions.