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Westminster removes St John’s Wood garden bench after anti-social behaviour complaints
Westminster City Council has removed an 89-year-old resident’s bench from a planted street garden in St John’s Wood, citing repeated complaints about anti-social behaviour. Katharine Hoskyns created the green space more than 25 years ago, and says it gives neighbours a place to talk and has community support.
Hoskyns says she was discussing the issue with the council and had submitted a petition signed by more than 60 local people, but the bench was removed before a planned November meeting. The council says the bench attracted night-time anti-social behaviour, including drug use, and that it had evidence of problems over many years; it also raised safety concerns about fallen pots and the bench’s structure. It offered to return the bench to her back garden, which she says has no room for it.
In short
- Council removes an 89-year-old’s garden bench after complaints.
- More than 60 locals signed a petition supporting the garden.
- Hoskyns disputes the complaints and plans to contest the decision.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The bench appears to serve a valued neighbourhood purpose: it gives residents a place to sit and talk, and more than 60 people signed a petition supporting it. On this view, removing it before the planned meeting curtailed discussion with the community, and the council could have explored ways to address specific problems while preserving the garden’s social benefit.
The case against
The council has a responsibility to respond to repeated reports of anti-social behaviour and to protect people using the street, particularly if the bench has been associated with night-time drug use over many years. It also cites practical safety concerns about fallen pots and the bench’s structure, so removing it may be a proportionate step if those problems could not be reliably managed in place.
Explained simply
St John’s Wood is a residential area in north-west London, within the City of Westminster. Its streets include small planted spaces that residents may look after, and local councils are responsible for managing public land and responding to reports about its use.
Katharine Hoskyns created the street garden more than 25 years ago. The disagreement concerns how the space should be used: she says the bench helps neighbours meet, while Westminster City Council says it has received complaints about behaviour there and has safety concerns.
The issue matters because it brings together residents’ use of a shared neighbourhood space and the council’s responsibility to address reported problems and safety risks. Local support for the garden and reports of anti-social behaviour are both part of the dispute.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Killjoy council removes 89-year-old grandmother’s bench after ‘complaints of anti-social behaviour’”.