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10
Apr
Crescent Gardens ‘temporary’ fencing finally removed — two-and-a-half years later
Fencing erected at the pavilion in Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens has finally been removed after two-and-a-half years.
The fencing, which was put up after a group of rough sleepers set up an encampment in September 2023 and prompted concerns of antisocial behaviour, was described as a "temporary" measure by North Yorkshire Council.
But as the months rolled on, the fencing remained. The council said it had “no plans” to remove it and feared doing so would only attract further antisocial behaviour.
But in an unexpected U-turn, the council has finally removed the fencing.
The Stray Ferret asked the council why it had decided to scrap the fencing and what steps will be taken to address both rough sleeping and antisocial behaviour.
The authority told us:
We’ve taken down the fencing in Crescent Gardens to enable the public to use this valued pavilion once again.
Some repairs have already been carried out, with further work planned to ensure it can be enjoyed by residents and visitors in the future.
Our rough sleeping team will continue to monitor the site to ensure the area remains welcoming and well managed.
The fencing remained in place for two years despited originally being labelled as "temporary".
The council’s corporate director for community development, Nic Harne, last year told the Stray Ferret the authority spent £8.5 million on tackling homelessness and rough sleeping across North Yorkshire in 2024/25.
He added:
This was made up of £4.3m on staffing costs, £2.7m on temporary accommodation and £1.5m on prevention.
Last year, we also approved £11.6m to support the development of additional temporary accommodation for the homeless. Our new strategy is backed by funding earmarked in our second homes council tax premium strategy.
Nearby resident Eileen Dockray originally raised concerns over the rough sleeping group, who inhabited the pavilion for two weeks at the time.
Ms Dockray told the Stray Ferret in 2023 the encampment gradually expanded and people were congregating at the site to “have a drink and chat”.
The rough sleepers were eventually evicted by the council's property services division and North Yorkshire Police officers, but they returned just days later.
After being removed from the site for a second time, metal fencing was swiftly erected at the front of the pavilion and remained there until recently.
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