Holding picnics and gatherings in our parks

We welcome informal picnics in our parks. Our parks can get very busy during the summer, which limits the available space. The parks are used by many people for different reasons, and we are unable to allow any one group exclusive rights to an area.

If you are holding an organised event (for gatherings larger than a maximum of 20 people), you can use our enquire about organising an event form.

The parks are also home to a rich variety of wildlife. We ask you to work with us to protect the wildlife.

To ensure everyone enjoys the parks fully, we ask that you consider:

• Collecting or soliciting money – if yours is a charity picnic, any collections must take place outside of the park boundary.
• Corporate advertising and distribution of leaflets – if yours is an informal staff picnic you will not be permitted to display any corporate banners or distribute promotional material.
• Playing ball games – ball games are only permitted in certain areas of some of the parks.
• Playing music – be considerate to others.
• Fixing anything to trees or driving anything into the ground.
• Erecting tents, marquees, or other structures, or any equipment that is likely to obstruct other park users.
• Glass – ensure that you use plastic cups and bottles where possible. Broken glass is a hazard to other visitors and wildlife and very difficult to remove from parkland.
• Balloons – do not use or release Chinese lanterns or similar types of lanterns or balloons on the property or adjoining land as when released they get caught up in the trees and are hard to remove. They can also be a hazard to the wildlife in the park. Balloon releases are not permitted in the parks for these reasons.

Before you leave the park, collect all of your litter to take home with you and recycle where possible.

Do not leave any items unattended at any time, both to protect your items from theft and to prevent them causing a possible security alert.

Above all, be considerate, so other people can enjoy the park too.

Page last reviewed: 30 October 2024