A number of Bonnevoie residents have reported concerns over increased litter and noise at the park, requesting more support from the municipality of Luxembourg City in dealing with the antisocial behaviour, RTL’s Annick Goerens reports.
At first glance, the park appears to be a clean and peaceful idyll, with children amusing themselves in the playground, families picnicking, or playing at the volleyball courts. But a closer look at the surrounding bushes and hedges reveals a different story.
A local resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said:
“We’ve had issues with what I’ll call junkies, coming to the park, bringing mattresses and even campbeds which they stash among the hedges. People have spent a long time sleeping here in some cases. Then they leave their personal belongings here in Valorlux bags. Sometimes, if we’re fortunate, they leave their stuff on the lawns and it gets moved when the mowers visit the park. But no one does anything about the rubbish left in the bushes. We’re also afraid of the people coming here to take drugs, and always worried they will overdose while in the park. It’s a municipal park - children come here, it’s not safe, there could be needles lying around.”
Residents have been in contact with Luxembourg City’s hygiene service, who have carried out cleaning operations in the park. But despite this, RTL came across several spots in the bushes with old plastic bags containing empty bottles of alcohol, used condoms, and mattresses. However, no used needles were to be seen anywhere.
Luxembourg City alderman Maurice Bauer, of the CSV, said in response:
“Our park services have a specific team which cleans all municipal parks every morning before 7am. We also have our hygiene services to support the cleaning teams and to keep all public spaces clean and tidy. Over the course of each day there are of course activities which create mess. Unfortunately not everyone takes their own litter home with them, but that’s why our teams are available.”The work taking place at the Abrigado centre is causing a disturbance, which has led to the centre’s users seeking alternative spaces elsewhere - not just in Bonnevoie, confirmed Bauer.
“This is something which is known to us. We have our Street Work Service which visits the users in question, to check if they have alternative housing or other refuges. But it’s not something we can force them to take advantage of.”
In general, residents in Bonnevoie would prefer more of an official presence in the park, whether it’s staff from the council or from the service “A Vos Côtés”. To date, this service is only visible in the centre of Bonnevoie, but Bauer said the council would look at dispatching the service to the Kaltreis park as well in future.
