Greenwich Council has scrapped plans to close Maryon Wilson Animal Park after more than 10,000 people signed a petition against the proposal.
The town hall had proposed closing the park, which it said would save £60,000, as part of a new round of austerity cuts.
But the council backed away from the plans in an announcement made just before Wednesday’s full council meeting. Protesters had gathered outside the town hall after having been told they were not allowed to address the meeting.
Campaigners had asked why the council planned to seek sponsorship for the Sparkle in the Park winter lights festival, which cost £190,000 last year, but was not prepared to find alternative funding for the animal park.
“Following discussions with the community, the council has decided to explore ways to keep Maryon Wilson Animal Park open while still delivering the vital savings needed to fund frontline services,” a statement said.
“While everyone accepts that tough choices need to be made for the council to deliver a balance budget and remain financially stable, we understand the weight of public sentiment.
“Having engaged with residents, community leaders and those who run the park, we’re going to remove the proposal from this year’s budget and explore ways to make sure the park stays open for years to come.”
Campaigners had threatened to stand against the area’s Labour councillors in next year’s elections if the closure plan went ahead. Matt Hartley, the Conservative opposition leader, had threatened to call a specific vote on the issue in the council chamber, which would have forced local Labour councillors to either back the closure or face ostracisation from their party for breaking the whip.
The Tory leader had said that the saving would be as little as £5,000 over four years because of the cost of rehoming 93 animals. At a public meeting on Sunday, one campaigner had said the closure could even cost money because the council had underestimated the work involved.
The animal park has been in Charlton for nearly a century and contains deer, sheep, goats, ducks and other animals. It dates back to 1928, when the former landowner donated a herd of deer.
A delegation of campaigners met Anthony Okereke, the council leader, and other town hall figures to discuss the issue on Tuesday.
“Over the last week, residents have told us that they understand the difficult decisions we have to make – but it’s been reaffirmed to us quite how cherished Maryon Wilson Animal Park is,” said Sandra Bauer, the incoming cabinet member for communities and culture. “While we do need to make savings, we’re going to rethink this approach.
“I’ve heard you loud and clear. I’ve met with campaigners, and I’ve listened. I’m pleased to say that we’re going to remove the proposal and explore alternative ways to keep the park open to the public.
“There are councils effectively going bust in this country – and while it’s not us, our priority must be protecting the frontline services that people rely on. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t listen when it matters, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.
“The council will have to make tough decisions to balance its budget. But, while we lobby for fairer funding and continue to look at how we deliver our services, we’ll make sure we work with you and the park to keep it open.”
Jo van den Broek, a Charlton Village councillor, told the council meeting on Wednesday that she had “lived and breathed” the issue over recent weeks and that she was “relieved” that there had been a reprieve because of “the massive social, therapeutic and educational value the animal park provides”.
Okereke said that campaigners had “really lent on us in terms of its social value and importance” but warned the council had to find other savings now the closure was off the table.
Hartley said: “I’m delighted that all the hard work that went in from the community, from the Friends groups, from all the campaigners and from the enormous number of people who signed that petition has paid off. Everybody worked really hard.
“At Sunday’s public meeting the community really made their views plain in a very admirable way. I think it’s to everybody’s credit that this outcome has been achieved.”
The proposal came six months after the council agreed to spend £85,000 a year on hiring political assistants. A petition against the closure had reached 11,300 signatures by Wednesday evening.
A number of other planned cuts remain on the table, including plans to close adventure playgrounds and reduce the opening hours of libraries, the details of which have been kept secret, They will be discussed by councillors on the overview and scrutiny panel on Thursday evening.
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Story updated at noon on Thursday with comments from the council meeting.
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