Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in October 2023. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.
IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Call to reopen Sheen Gate to cars turned down +++ New moped gang robbery +++ Who smashed into the Rohampton Gate posts? +++ Another opportunity to get free security marking for your bike +++
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BAD MANORS
There have been calls to reopen Sheen Gate to through traffic – and The Royal Parks has taken an admirably unequivocal stance against them.
It comes after the commencement last month of major roadworks on the A316 at Manor Circus (near the Sainsbury’s superstore in Richmond) which has led to heavy traffic in the surrounding areas. The work to remove the central island of the roundabout, repair the bridge deck and improve some of the footways is due to finish in December; the second phase, which aims, among other things, to improve the cycle lane on Lower Richmond Road, is scheduled to take place from January next year until spring. (You can read Transport for London’s full plans here.)
Some in the local community wanted motor traffic to funnel in and out of Sheen Gate until TfL’s contractors complete its works. But in a statement posted on Twitter by East Sheen Lib Dem councillor Julia Cambridge (who, coincidentally, sits with us on the Safer Parks Police Panel), TRP made it clear that the gate would not be used as a conduit for through traffic.
Here is the statement in full:
"Richmond Park is a unique natural oasis and designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a National Nature Reserve. Our duty is to care for the park for the benefit of visitors. Park roads exist to serve visitors to the park and are not part of the national road network. We have sought to reduce the impact of cut through traffic and over recent years have taken measures to achieve this. We have no plans to encourage more motor traffic into the park".
We are grateful to TRP for continuing to recognise, under some pressure, that its roads are primarily for cycling and walking, not for shortcut journeys made in motor vehicles.
ROBBERY ALERT
Some concerning news from our counterparts at Regent’s Park Cyclists – thieves on mopeds have, once again, robbed a cyclist of their bike.
Two robbers wearing balaclavas pushed the rider off his Specialized Venge on Archway Road in north London at around 5am last Friday, leaving him with scrapes and bruises. He fears the duo were lying in wait for a victim, and as a precaution has changed the locks at his home, fearing publicly available ride data from his Garmin could give away his address.
There is no indication that moped robbers are making another return to Richmond Park. Nevertheless, this concerning incident serves as a reminder to keep your data private on ride-sharing services such as Strava, as well as on whatever brand of bike computer you use, and to set the start point of your journeys away from your home. Thieves could be watching your movements.
TIMBER SLAM
Who smashed into the wooden posts near Roehampton Gate? The damage, which we showed on our Instagram last week, was thought to have been caused by a driver of one the vehicles involved in setting up the London Duathlon – but park manager Paul Richards has discounted that theory, telling Sgt Pete Sturgess from the park’s police unit that blue paint was found on the timber, and the event organisers didn’t have any trucks of that colour. Paul has ordered replacement wooden gates which should be fitted soon; in the meantime, plastic barriers are in place at weekends to enforce the usual restrictions on motor vehicles.
It is surprising, to say the least, that the driver of a very large vehicle can crash in the park, causing significant and costly damage, without any apparent witnesses to the incident. Nevertheless, we are relieved that on this occasion, it was not a cyclist who hit the cumbersome posts. We still maintain that the posts are too close to the edge of the road and this incident would seem to support this view.
LANE PAIN
Staying briefly on the subject of the installations near Roehampton Gate, one of our followers on Instagram messaged us to say she has been routinely “driven at and overtaken” on the single lane across Beverley Brook Bridge, branding it “utterly useless and dangerous”, while a subscriber riding at around 8am on a weekday morning the week before last witnessed two drivers out of their cars confronting each other, flanked by traffic that was backed up both ways.
As many predicted, the new road furniture clearly continues to have a baneful impact, even though the second safety audit – carried out by the same company that conducted the first prior to installation – unsurprisingly concluded that it is safe for cyclists. This ongoing issue will undoubtedly come up during our next quarterly meeting with park manager Paul Richards later this month, so please tell us if you have had any recent negative experiences relating to the installations and we will feed them back to him.
MARKING TIME
Thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hello, have a chat or show their appreciation for our work during the Richmond Park Open Day last month. The RPC stall was next to the police bike markers who were kept busy by cyclists turning up throughout the day to get their pride and joy registered on the national database – and the officers will be offering this FREE service again at Kingston Gate car park on Saturday, October 14. The time has yet to be confirmed, so keep an eye on our social media for updates (links at the foot of this email).
With more than 100 bikes marked during the last opportunity at Sheen Gate a few weeks ago, this is bound to be a popular event. And remember: getting your bike on the database increases the chances of it being reunited with you if it is recovered following a theft.
RUT RUN
A group of cyclists, which one of us at RPC was riding with, had to stop for deer to cross the road last weekend. This is a fairly common occurrence at this time of year as it is rutting season until next month, making the animals agitated. So please take additional care with regard to your speed and general road awareness, especially as they can bolt or trot unpredictably into your path.
You should also watch out for motorists who stop abruptly to avoid hitting fast-moving deer suddenly coming across their path – and, regrettably, some will break park rules to stop at the side of the road to take photographs. If you decide to take photos yourself, keep your distance and please come off the road or pathway so that you do not impede the movement of others or create a hazard.
SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...
As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.
All the best,
Richmond Park Cyclists