Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in March 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… +++ Spate of cycling accidents on slippery roundabouts +++ Car ablaze on Queen’s Road +++ No further action on 4x4 driver who destroyed bike +++ Colicci closed this afternoon, and other maintenance news +++ Hoppit – toads are coming! +++
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ROUNDABOUT THIS TIME OF YEAR…
Twelve months after there was a spate of cyclists falling off on the park’s roundabouts, more have been hitting the tarmac in the same locations over the past month. As our subscribers and followers on social media sent us a steady stream of reports detailing various falls, we had a meeting with the police and park manager Paul Richards, who has called in health and safety experts to examine the sites which will hopefully uncover the cause.
The park management had already swept the roads at the end of January. Then, on Friday, February 3, they responded to reports of the first falls by applying absorbent white granules to the roundabouts at Kingston and Richmond gates, where an oil-like substance was detected on the road (diesel was ruled out as the liquid was odourless). But the following day, one of us at RPC recorded bike cam footage of a fall at Richmond Gate before witnessing another at Kingston Gate a few minutes later, prompting us to urge cyclists to report any similar incidents. People have since fallen at Roehampton Gate’s roundabout too, and we know of one person who has had to have surgery for their injuries.
Surface ice or frost was not a factor as all falls have been at above zero temperatures. Instead, the cause appears to have been a long period of no meaningful rain and weather cool enough to attract dew or condensation. Also, for some reason, salt that has been spread for ice prevention, not necessarily overnight, appears to draw moisture to itself more than an untreated surface. Combined with a lack of rain, this seems to build up to form a film of dust, lubricants and spilt fuel which creates a slick surface with the moisture. More recently, TRP has scrubbed and washed some of the roundabouts.
As we await the conclusion of the health and safety investigation, please take care on the roundabouts, paying particular attention to your speed. And if you do come off or witness any such accidents…
✉️Drop us an email or a direct message via social media with as many details as possible (date, time and location) so we can build a clearer picture of the extent of the problem
📞Call 101 or use the Met’s online portal to report the incident to the police
🚑Dial 999 if you or anyone else is seriously injured.
Take care, friends!
BLAZE-Y SUNDAY AFTERNOON
The Friends of Kingston Gate photographed a car on fire in the park on Queen’s Road on Sunday afternoon. Fortunately, there were no fatalities. Unusually, all of the park’s officers were absent as they had been called to a protest in Hyde Park, so the local force attended the scene. There are barriers around the spot where the car caught fire until the road is repaired. We will try to find out the cause of the blaze before the next Police Panel meeting in April.
RIDLEY SCOTCHED
Three of us from Richmond Park Cyclists arrived at Pembroke Lodge for a meeting on a lovely sunny day a couple of weeks ago, only to have the peace shattered by the monstrous sound of a 4x4 ramming into two of the steel bike stands in front of the refreshments kiosk. A single speed owned by one of us had a narrow escape as it was locked next to the scene of the smash; sadly, the owner of a carbon Ridley Orion wasn’t so lucky. You can see the wrecked bike on our Instagram reel.
The driver of the parked Mitsubishi apparently hit the wrong pedal, sending his vehicle lurching forward across a footpath into the bike stands. Pc Paul Barber, who is one of the park’s officers, was one of those who attended the scene, but his sergeant Peter Sturgess has since told us that no further action has been taken. It should be stressed that the decision was made by the Met’s Prosecutions Unit, which progressed the initial investigation, not the park’s police.
This was a very unusual incident, and no one was hurt. Nevertheless, for a weekday, there were quite a few people walking around in the vicinity of the crash, so it could potentially have been more serious. Sgt Sturgess has contacted the case manager to find out why no further action is being taken.
If you are the cyclist whose bike was wrecked, or you know them, please contact us in confidence.
SPRING INTO ACTION
Spring is a time of renewal – and the park is undergoing a process of change which is disrupting its usual routines. As mentioned in last month’s bulletin, the Royal Parks’ main project is the replacement of the temporary barriers, cones and signs with timber gates, posts and fencing, as well as installing cycling-friendly courtesy crossings for pedestrians, all of which is scheduled to finish at the end of March. You should still be able to ride in the park with minimal disruption, but there are a few other ongoing projects to make a note of, some of which will bring additional vehicles into the park.
Here’s everything you need to know:
Colicci will be closed TODAY from 2pm for the rest of the day for essential maintenance.
Tonight and tomorrow night, when the park is closed to cars, road works will be carried out.
From tomorrow, Thames Water will spend a few weeks installing a tank by Richmond Gate Lodge. Crews may come in after the main gates are closed and will only operate by Richmond Gate.
On Friday, the small cycle lane at Broomfield Hill connected to the car park will be closed for essential maintenance. Please dismount and walk through the car park.
On Monday, Southeastern Rivers will clear the drainage defender near Roehampton Gate.
All routes will remain open as The Royal Parks’ contractors Ground Control continue with the barrier and crossing works. They will be working on the kerbs, which means there will be cones and barriers by the side of the road. Please obey any signage asking you to slow down.
The deer cull is scheduled to continue for the next couple of weeks, which means you will still not be able to cycle in the park from 8pm to 7.30am. If we hear the cull ends earlier, we will let you know via social media (links at the foot of this email).
HOP STARS
Speaking of spring, the season hasn’t truly sprung until the toads start hopping across one of the roads near Ham Gate. Their annual migration began yesterday, which means the section of Church Road from the junction with Latchmere Lane to Ham Gate Avenue will be closed to all traffic until March 27. Please try to enter and leave the park via another route to avoid squishing our little green chums.
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