West Ham Park byelaws
The park byelaws are legislative instructions that help protect and keep the park running smoothly and can be found at the back of the noticeboards at the park entrances.
Byelaws
1. In these byelaws unless the context otherwise requires:-
"the Park" means West Ham Park being the land referred to in an Indenture dated 20th July, 1874, recited in the City of London (Various Powers) Act, 1877, whereby the said land was granted and confirmed unto the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London, their successors and assigns for the considerations and subject to the terms, conditions and uses therein declared;
"the Corporation" means the Mayor, Aldermen and Commons of the City of London in Common Council assembled;
"main paths" means any road or path of a greater width than 13 feet;
"the Managers" means the Managers of the Park referred to in the Indenture;
"power driven model aircraft" means any model aircraft driven by the combustion of petrol vapour or other combustible substance;
"the playground" means the playground set apart in the Park;
"the adventure playground" means the adventure play- ground set apart in the Park;
"The keeper" in Byelaw 7, shall include the owner of the dog or any person who habitually has it in his possession.
2.An act necessary to the proper execution of his duty in the Park by an Officer of the Corporation or by any person or the servant of any person employed, engaged, or appointed by the Corporation shall not be deemed an offence against these Byelaws.
3. A person shall not in the Park:-
(i) wilfully, carelessly: or negligently soil or defile any wall or fence in or enclosing the Park or any building, barrier, railing, post or seat, or any erection or ornament;
(ii) climb any wall or fence in or enclosing the Park, or any tree, barrier, railing, post, or other erection;
(iii) wilfully, carelessly, or negligently remove or displace any barrier, railing, post, or seat, or any part of any erection or ornament, or any implement provided for use in the laying out or maintenance of the Park.
4. A person shall not affix any bill, placard, or notice to or upon any wall or fence in or enclosing the Park, or to or upon any tree, or plant, or to or upon any part of any building, barrier, or railing, or of any seat, or of any other erection or ornament in the Park.
5. A person shall not in the Park, walk, run, stand, sit, or lie upon
(i) any grass, turf, or other place where adequate notice to keep off such grass, turf, or other place is exhibited.
Provided that such notice shall not apply to more than one fifth of the area of the Park;
(ii) any flower bed, shrub, or plant, or any ground in course of preparation as a flower bed, or for the growth of any tree, shrub, or plant.
6. A person shall not in the Park
(i) bathe, wade, or wash in any ornamental lake, pond, stream, or other water.
Provided that this byelaw shall not prohibit a child under the age of twelve years from playing in the paddling pool in the playground;
(ii) wilfully, carelessly, or negligently foul or pollute any such water.
7(i) a) Every person in charge of a dog in the Park shall so far as reasonably practicable comply with a direction given by a Corporation Officer or Constable to keep the dog on a lead.
b) A direction under paragraph 7(1)(a) above may only be given if such restraint is reasonably necessary to prevent a nuisance or behaviour by the dog likely to cause annoyance or disturbance to any person in the Park or the worrying or disturbance of any animal or bird.
7(ii) No person in charge of a dog shall, without reasonable excuse, permit the dog to enter the Park on the days and during the hours specified in the following table, unless the dog is held on a lead and is restrained from behaviour giving reasonable grounds for annoyance:
TIME OF YEAR DAYS HOURS
April - September Monday - Sunday 11.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m.
October - March Monday - Sunday 11.00 a.m. - 2.00 p.m.
7(iii) a) Every person (other than a registered blind person) in charge of a dog which is in the Park who, without reasonable excuse, fails to remove forthwith from the grounds any faeces deposited by the dog shall be guilty of an offence.
b) For the purposes of compliance with the above byelaw, the following provisions shall apply:
(i) it shall be a sufficient removal from the Park if the faeces are deposited in a receptacle within the Park which has been provided for that purpose by the Corporation;
(ii) without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing it shall not be a reasonable excuse that a person in charge of a dog did not have with him any means of removal of the faeces." 7(iv) For the purpose of this byelaw, the keeper of a dog shall be deemed in charge thereof unless the dog had been placed in or taken into the charge of some other person at the time when an offence under this byelaw had been committed."
8. A person shall not in the Park
(i) except as hereinafter provided erect any post, rail, fence, pole, tent, booth, stand, building or other structure;
Provided that this prohibition shall not apply where upon an application to the Managers they grant permission in writing to erect any post, rail, fence, pole, tent, booth, stand, building, or other structure, upon such occasion and for such purpose as are specified in the permission;
(ii) hang, spread, or deposit any linen or other fabric for drying or bleaching;
(iii) sell, or offer or expose for sale, or let to hire, or offer or expose for letting to hire, any commodity or article, unless in pursuance of a written agreement with the Managers or otherwise in the exercise of any lawful right or privilege, he is authorised to sell or let to hire in the Park such commodity or article.
9. A person shall not without the written consent of the Managers set light to or keep alight any fire in the Park or set fire to any substance therein or place, throw, drop or leave in the Park any matches or other materials.
10. A person shall not injure or destroy any bird or take any bird's egg or nest in the Park.
11. A person shall not deliver any public speech, sermon or address in the Park.
12. A person shall not, either separately, or as a member of a band, play an instrument of music in the Park.
Provided that this prohibition shall not apply where upon an application to the Managers they grant permission in writing to play music in the Park upon such occasions, for such purposes and at such times as are specified in the permission.
13. A person shall not play a radio or other instrument for the reproduction of sound in the Park.
14. A person shall not fly any power driven model aircraft in the Park.
15. A person shall not, except in pursuance of a lawful written agreement with the Managers, or otherwise in the exercise of any lawful right or privilege, bring or cause to be brought into the Park any cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, or any beast of draught or burden.
16. (i) A person shall not except in the exercise of any lawful right or privilege bring or cause to be brought into the Park any barrow, truck, machine, bicycle, tricycle or vehicle other than:-
(a) a wheelchair or perambulator drawn or propelled by hand and used solely for the conveyance of a child or children;
(b) an invalid chair or carriage.
17. A person who brings an invalid chair or carriage into the Park shall not:-
(i) if it is a non-mechanically propelled vehicle, draw, propel or station it over or upon any part of the Park other than on the main paths or other paths in the Park;
(ii) if it is a mechanically propelled vehicle, propel or station it
(a) elsewhere than on the main paths in the Park;
(b) in such a manner as to cause annoyance or inconvenience to any other person using the Park.
18. Where the Managers set apart any such part of the Park as may be fixed by the Managers and described in a notice board affixed or set up in some conspicuous position in the Park, for the purpose of any game specified in the notice board, which, by reason of the rules or manner of playing, or for the prevention of damage, danger or discomfort to any person in the Park may necessitate, at any time during the continuance of the game, the exclusive use by the player or players of any space in such part of the Park - a person shall not in any space
elsewhere in the Park play or take part in any game so specified in such a manner as to exclude persons not playing or taking part in the game from the use of such a space.
19. A person resorting to the Park and playing or taking part in any game for which the exclusive use of any space in the Park has been set apart shall
(i) not play on the space any game other than the game for which it is set apart;
(ii) in preparing for playing and in playing use reasonable care to prevent undue interference with the proper use of the Park by other persons;
(iii) when the space is already occupied by other players not begin to play thereon without their permission;
(iv) where the exclusive use of the space has been granted by the Managers for the playing of a match, not play on that space later than a quarter of an hour before the time fixed for the beginning of the match unless he is taking part therein;
(v) except where the exclusive use of the space has been granted by the Managers for the playing of a match in which he is taking part, not use the space for a longer time than two hours continuously, if any other player or players make known to him a wish to use the space.
20. A person shall not in any part of the Park which may have been set apart by the Managers for any game play or take part in any game when the state of the ground or other cause makes it unfit for use and a notice is set up in some conspicuous position prohibiting play in that part of the Park.
21. A person who has attained the age of sixteen years shall not play any ball game in the Park except in an area set apart for the purpose of such game.
22. A person who has attained the age of twelve years shall not use any equipment in the playground which, by a notice affixed or set up on or near thereto, has been set apart by the Managers for the exclusive use of persons under that age.
23. A person shall not play any ball game in the playground.
24. A person shall not cause or suffer any dog belonging to him or in his charge to enter, or remain in the playground or the adventure playground.
25. A person shall not ride or drive any animal in the playground or the adventure playground.
26. A person who has attained the age of fifteen years shall not use any equipment in the adventure playground.
27. A person shall not in the Park wilfully obstruct, disturb, interrupt or annoy any other person in the proper use of the Park, or wilfully obstruct, disturb or interrupt any officer of the Corporation in the proper execution of his duty, or any person or servant of any person employed by the Corporation in the proper execution of any work in connection with the laying out or maintenance of the Park.
28. Every person who shall offend against any of these byelaws shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding two hundred pounds.
29. Every person who shall infringe any byelaw for the regulation of the Park may be removed there from by an officer of the Corporation or by any constable, in anyone of the several cases hereinafter specified: that is to say:-
(i) Where the infraction of the byelaw is committed within the view of such officer or constable, and the name and residence of the person infringing the byelaw are unknown to and cannot be readily ascertained by such officer or constable:
(ii) Where the infraction of the byelaw is committed within the view of such officer or constable, and, from the nature of such infraction, or from any other fact of which such officer or constable may have knowledge, or of which he may be credibly informed, there may be reasonable ground for belief that the continuance in the Park of the person infringing the byelaw may result in another infraction of a byelaw, or that the removal of such person from the Park is otherwise necessary as a security for the proper use and regulation thereof.
30. Nothing in these Byelaws shall take away, abridge or limit any remedy now existing by way of indictment or otherwise or shall interfere with or prejudice the powers of the Metropolitan Police or of any authority legally existing for preventing or punishing any offences whether specified in these Byelaws or not.
31. From and after the coming into operation of these byelaws, the byelaws made by the Corporation on the 1st day of November, 1888, and allowed by the Local Government Board on the 18th day of December, 1888, the additional byelaws made by the Corporation on the 9th day of May, 1901, and allowed by the Local Government Board on the 16th day of July, 1901, the additional byelaws made by the Corporation on the 13th day of April, 1961, and confirmed by the Secretary of State on the 31st day of July, 1961, and the additional byelaws made by the Corporation on the 14th day of January, 1965, and confirmed by the Secretary of State on the 16th day of October 1965, shall be, and the same are hereby repealed.