Sutton Council will spend nearly £100,000 on barriers and measures to put a stop to nuisance motorcyclists on Roundshaw Downs.
The 52-hectare park which borders Croydon and Sutton is “plagued” by motorbikes, according to the authority.
The council said motorcyclists endanger joggers and dog walkers using the popular fields.
It has also been a “major noise nuisance” for locals living on the Roundshaw and Apeldoorn estates, and at the Purley end of Wallington.
The council voted to allocated £98,000 to tackling the problem at a meeting this week.
A total of £60,000 will go towards new barriers at entrances in Wallington. These will be specially designed to stop motorbikes while allowing pedestrians to enter.
The other £38,000 will go towards measures in Imperial Way next to Costco and a tarmac area on the downs where motorcyclists gather.
Sutton’s councillor for Roundshaw Mo Saqib has called on Croydon Council to fund the same measures on its side of the downs. The Liberal Democrat councillor said: “The £98,000 funding boost is brilliant news for everyone who visits or lives near the Roundshaw Downs.
“We also need to see more action from Croydon Council to help protect the Downs from the Croydon entry points. I’m disappointed at Croydon’s lack of action so far- they seriously need to step up and match Sutton’s ambition to tackle this issue.”
In Spring 2021 Met police officers carried out six weeks of extra patrols on Roundshaw Downs and seized motorbikes and gave warnings to drivers.
Sutton Council is now carrying out a consultation on the measures which will run until March 16 and particularly wants to hear from those who use wheelchairs, mobility scooters and pushchairs.
The consultation page reads: “We are aware that many motorbikes access the Downs via the Croydon entry points and that installing inhibitors on the Sutton side of the downs may not fully resolve the issue of motorbikes using the open space.
“However, we have requested that our counterparts at Croydon Council also take measures to prevent motorbike access on their entrance points as part of our commitment to improving the situation for local residents.”
Croydon Council was contacted for comment.
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