The everyday management of Clissold Park has been at the heart of CPUG’s work for many years. Our surviving records show the group regularly raising issues about staffing, maintenance, toilets, bins, gates, opening hours, security and other facilities that affect people’s experience of the park.

Some issues have been resolved, while others have returned repeatedly as circumstances, budgets and priorities have changed. CPUG provides a public forum where park users can raise concerns and discuss them with those responsible for managing the park.

Hackney Council owns and manages Clissold Park and is responsible for its maintenance, staffing and facilities. CPUG’s role is to represent park users, scrutinise changes and raise concerns and suggestions with the Council.

Staffing and managing the park

Questions about how Clissold Park is staffed and managed appear throughout CPUG’s earliest surviving records.

During the early 2000s the group regularly discussed park staffing, security and the role of rangers.

In 2003 CPUG opposed proposals to transfer responsibility for parks maintenance to Hackney Council’s Housing service, arguing that management arrangements should reflect the particular needs of parks.

In 2004 discussions included policing and ranger provision. CPUG sought clearer information about staffing and responsibilities and invited police and ranger representatives to meetings so that park users could raise concerns directly.

The structure of park management has changed over the years, but staffing levels and the ability to maintain facilities have continued to feature in CPUG discussions.

Maintenance and investment

The condition of the park and the resources available to maintain it have been recurring concerns.

CPUG has raised issues ranging from paths, drainage and grass cutting to repairs, planting and the maintenance of individual facilities.

During the planning of the major restoration of Clissold Park and House, the group repeatedly stressed that improvements needed to be accompanied by arrangements for their long-term management and maintenance.

This became particularly important after the restoration was completed. In 2016 CPUG raised concerns about how the park would be maintained as the period of additional funding associated with the Lottery project came to an end.

These concerns continued into 2017, when CPUG publicly highlighted the financial pressures facing Clissold House and the wider challenge of generating enough income to maintain public facilities as Council budgets came under increasing pressure.

Toilets and other essential facilities

Toilets have appeared repeatedly on CPUG meeting agendas.

Discussions have included their condition, availability, maintenance and accessibility, both within Clissold House and elsewhere in the park.

Other recurring subjects have included drinking water, seating, bins and the availability and condition of different park facilities.

Problems with toilets have continued to be raised in recent meetings, illustrating how apparently routine facilities can have a significant effect on people’s ability to use and enjoy the park.

Bins, litter and keeping the park clean

Litter and waste have also been regular concerns.

CPUG has raised questions about the number, location and servicing of bins and about litter following busy periods and events.

In 2014 a litter bin requested by the group was installed, providing a documented example of a relatively small practical improvement following CPUG representations.

The group has also contributed directly through volunteering. Litter picks have taken place at different times, with regular volunteer litter-picking restarting in 2025.

Gates, entrances and opening hours

How people enter and leave the park has generated discussion over many years.

CPUG meetings have considered gates, entrance barriers, vehicle access and opening arrangements. These questions often overlap with accessibility, security and the practical management of the park.

In 2014 CPUG explored whether the park could open earlier, but the proposal was not taken forward because of the additional cost involved.

More recently, gates and access arrangements have continued to feature in meetings, showing that some management questions do not have permanent solutions and need to be revisited as circumstances change.

Paths, drainage and the park landscape

The condition of paths and drainage has also affected the everyday experience of the park.

CPUG has raised concerns about paths, surfaces, standing water and drainage at different times.

Major drainage works were among the changes discussed during 2022, while subsequent meetings have continued to provide opportunities for park users to report problems and seek updates.

These issues often overlap with other areas of CPUG’s work, particularly accessibility, cycling and the management of the park’s natural environment.

Representing everyday concerns

Much of CPUG’s work on park management consists not of major campaigns but of repeatedly raising smaller issues that matter to people using the park.

Public meetings provide an opportunity to report problems, question Council representatives and park management, receive updates and follow issues over more than one meeting when necessary.

The surviving minutes consequently contain discussions about repairs, damaged or missing facilities, mowing, leaves, signage, benches, water, toilets, gates and many other aspects of the park.

Not every issue raised by CPUG results in a change, and improvements made by Hackney Council should not automatically be attributed to the group simply because the subject appeared at a meeting. The minutes nevertheless provide a record of the concerns park users have brought forward and CPUG’s role in representing them.

A continuing part of our work

The issues involved in managing a busy public park continually change, but representing park users on its everyday operation has remained one of CPUG’s most consistent roles.

Alongside major projects and campaigns, we continue to raise practical concerns about maintenance, facilities, access and how the park is managed.

Some can be dealt with relatively quickly. Others involve budgets, competing priorities or longer-term decisions and remain on the agenda over several meetings. Providing a continuing forum for these issues is an important part of CPUG’s work.