Bulletin #16, April 2019

Each month, we are emailing a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the mailout that we sent in April. 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. Have a look at our first bulletin to find out more about how RPC was formed and why we are progressing the idea of reducing traffic in the park by charging for shortcut journeys.

BIKES, CAMERA… ACTION!

Our followers on social media will already be aware that we have spread the word about a spate of bike thefts from Richmond Park. Further to the figures that we have already released, we now believe there has been a total of ten incidents that the police are aware of, resulting in 12 bikes being nicked. The first reported theft took place on January 30th, and the latest was on March 17th.  One other theft was thwarted when three quick-thinking cyclists confronted the man and took a photo of him, which you can see on our Facebook page along with descriptions of stolen bicycles and some of the suspects (the link is at the foot of this bulletin). Keep an eye out for both - one of the bikes, a Canyon, has already been returned to its owner Tom Boshell after it was put up for sale on Gumtree, so let’s see if we can reunite more victims with their pride and joy!

Richmond Park Cyclists has been speaking to The Royal Parks about granting permission for Colicci cafe to install CCTV outside its premises near Roehampton Gate as that is where all but one of the thefts have taken place (the other was from outside the nearby toilets). The police are alert to cyclists’ concerns, and we are hopeful that this issue will be nipped in the bud quite soon.

In the meantime, we recommend popping a good-quality portable lock in your jersey pocket or bag before coming to the park. Thieves want to make a quick getaway, so removing the skewer from your front wheel, or resting the tyre against the brake pad, as well as putting the bike into its biggest gear are all pretty good deterrents (an additional tip for those of you who you are lucky enough to have electronic gears: remove the battery as well). And if you are riding with a pal, one of you could sit outside to keep an eye on your bikes while the other buys coffee.

If you have any information regarding the thefts or want to report an incident, you can give the police a bell by dialling 101 and asking for The Royal Parks Command Unit. For an emergency, call 999. We’ll provide an update on social media and in next month’s bulletin.

SLOW PROGRESS… AND PROGRESS ON SLOWING

March saw the conclusion of two public consultations that we asked you to respond to - a proposal to make the three east-west roads closest to Kingston Gate one-way, and Richmond Council’s bid to impose a 20mph limit throughout the borough. The former will not go ahead, but the latter will albeit with a few exemptions.

With regard to the Kingston Gate scheme, councillors voted it down at a meeting after 70 per cent of residents on the affected roads objected. Kingston Cycling Campaign was also against the plan, citing concerns that incidents of cyclists riding into opened car doors would increase. But it was residents who held sway: according to one of our contacts, if you exclude their responses, a majority of correspondents were in favour. Even though this particular scheme has been shelved, the council will be holding another meeting that could address the safety issues of these busy roads, especially if there is good representation from cyclists. Slow progress, but we’ll let you know when a date is set.

Meanwhile, Richmond Council’s idea to create a 20mph limit on all its roads prompted 9,910 responses - one of the highest rates for a borough-wide consultation - and is set to go ahead subject to some A roads being excluded. A speed limit order will be advertised and any representations considered before the decision is implemented.

A total of 52.4 per cent of respondents said they believed a 20mph limit will reduce the number of road accidents and their seriousness, although there was no overall majority for the specific proposal, with 47.7 per cent agreeing and 49.7 per cent not in favour. So the council has exempted some roads from the limit, including areas that objected heavily. Richmond Road and Kingston Road are two notable areas that are excluded, along with two A-roads that are controlled by Transport for London and therefore cannot be subject to Richmond Council’s plan. You can see the full list of exempted roads in the report on the council’s website.

One of the six aims of the proposal is to create an environment that is more conducive to cycling, and the council’s report expresses its duty of care to vulnerable road users (those under 19 and the over-75s), so we are pleased that a majority of Richmond’s roads will soon have a safer speed limit. The outcome is also encouraging as we continue to explore the idea of Intelligent Road Charging for shortcut journeys through the park in motor vehicles. After making a big call on speed limits, could Richmond Council also recognise there will be another benefit to cycling if some traffic is displaced from the park to some of its roads?

HOP SPRINGS ETERNAL

As one type of wildlife goes into hiding for another year, another far rarer beast emerges. The annual toad migration near Ham Gate has ended, which means you can cycle all the way down Church Road now the restrictions have been lifted - although your journey to Richmond Park might still be a little slower thanks to a talking hare. That’s because filmmakers are shooting Peter Rabbit 2 around Richmond’s one-way system and other areas around the borough from Thursday. Despite RPC’s HQ being very close to the toads’ road, we have never seen one of the loveable amphibious scamps. Will Peter be just as elusive? Photographs of either will be gratefully received!

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH

That’s all for this bulletin. As ever, please share this newsletter with your cycling friends - and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

website: richmondparkcyclists.org

twitter: twitter.com/richmondpkcycle

facebook: facebook.com/richmondparkcyclists

Bulletin #15, March 2019

Each month, we are emailing a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the mailout that we sent in March. 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. Have a look at our first bulletin to find out more about how RPC was formed and why we are progressing the idea of reducing traffic in the park by charging for shortcut journeys.

THAT’S ONE WAY TO SOLVE A PROBLEM

We all love riding in Richmond Park - although getting into it is another matter, with traffic levels around the entrances increasing over the past few years. The area by Kingston Gate has become an accident blackspot, so you may want to have your say about a proposal drawn up by the borough’s officials, prompted by a petition by local residents, to ease congestion around the area.

The central idea is a one-way system for motor vehicles on the east-west roads that connect Park Road with Queen’s Road, the latter of which which directly faces Kingston Gate. Cyclists would still be able to travel both ways.

The three east-west roads are King’s Road, which has Kingston Gate at its easternmost point, New Road and Tudor Road. The plan is to have no entry to motor vehicles at King’s Road and New Road’s west junctions with Park Road, and the eastern entry to Tudor Road (the junction with Queen’s Road). From what we can make out of the low-resolution images on the council’s website, there is a cycle lane sketched on King’s Road which appears to be a contraflow - west to east heading towards Kingston Gate, with motor traffic going the other way.

We believe that accessibility and cyclists’ safety would be improved if the scheme is implemented. If you would like to have your say, please fill in the questionnaire that the council is using to gauge public opinion. We’ll keep you posted on the progress of the plan.

KEEPING YOU IN THE LOOP

We’d like to extend a special hello and thank you to everyone who met us when we recently handed you one of our promotional postcards and subsequently signed up to our little monthly bulletin. One of the commonest queries we get on such occasions, and via our inbox, is about ideas to improve cyclists’ experience of the main loop. Why can’t there be specific infrastructure for cyclists, or a one-way system for motor traffic?

The truth is, most of the ideas suggested to us have already been considered by The Royal Parks following a public meeting held by Richmond’s MP Zac Goldsmith at the end of 2014. At this stage, the idea borne from that event that is most likely to gain traction is Intelligent Road Charging - setting a fee for shortcut journeys through the park made by motor vehicles - which is why we have been exploring the idea with stakeholders and local politicians.

But we thought it would be useful to outline why some of the ideas have not been adopted, so here is a brief explainer of each.

One-way for motor vehicles only: Cyclists would get one direction all to themselves - but emissions would increase due to the additional mileage, and it was felt that some visitors driving to the park would be deterred from coming. As a consequence, the income that The Royal Parks derive from tenant businesses (calculated as a proportion of their turnover) would fall.

Separate cycle paths parallel to road: A road engineer on the panel of Zac Goldsmith’s 2014 meeting suggested that a separate cycle lane could be placed next to the existing road on the climb of Broomfield Hill, thereby allowing motorists to overtake cyclists who, naturally, slow down as they go up. But in keeping with Richmond Park’s status as a National Nature Reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest, The Royal Parks has a policy of not removing any more green space - which would be necessary if more tarmac was laid down.

Painted cycle lane on road: The circuit road varies in width, but in theory a cycle lane could be painted in one direction, at least, on the widest parts. The drawback is that it would encourage motorists to drive closer to the middle of the carriageway, even when not overtaking cyclists - which could endanger oncoming riders overtaking cars.

Close the roads to motor vehicles at regular, specific periods: At the 2014 public meeting, a vote put by Goldsmith to the attendees decided that The Royal Parks and interested stakeholders would look at the the possibility of barring cars from entering at certain times of day. Saturday mornings, for example, when cyclists flock to the park, could be completely free of motor traffic. But after discussion, it was felt that it would simply increase the number of cars left outside the gates to unmanageable levels, particularly in free parking zones. Also, the elderly, disabled visitors and families with young children would have their access restricted or made impossible during the specified periods, particularly if they had to travel long distances without the use of a car.

Even though all of the above are unlikely to be implemented, you can still tell us about other ideas you may have, and we will put them to the authorities to find out what they think.

KEEP ’EM PEELED

Cycle thefts in the park are rare - but sadly, as you will already know if you follow us on Twitter or Facebook, there have been three reported to the police in the past few weeks. We asked The Royal Parks to put up signs at Roehampton Gate Cafe warning cyclists to be aware that a miscreant or two might make off with your pride and joy if you are not too careful. TRP speedily acted on our suggestion, getting the signage up in time for the usual weekend influx of cyclists, and we thank them for doing so. Now we are doing our bit by spreading the word about the three incidents. All of them occurred outside the cafe.

The first took place in late January when a young white male, approximately 18 years old wearing grey tracksuit trousers and a black hooded coat, took a red ladies Trek Emonda which had been parked unsecured by the decking. He had an accomplice who appeared to be on his own bike. The owner of the Trek, who had been having a coffee with a friend, gave chase until the two disappeared out of Roehampton Gate.

The other two bikes - a Specialized and a Canyon - were taken on Sunday 17th February at approximately 10:15am. We do not have any more details about these two thefts.

The three cyclists who had their bikes stolen have our sympathy. Most of us find it impractical to bring a heavy lock to the park, but if you want to deter a thief you may want to consider popping a portable cafe lock into your pocket before heading out. Alternatively, if you are riding with a friend, wrap the straps of your helmets around the top tube of your frames and release the front wheels so the tyres are resting against the brake pads. If a thief can’t make a quick getaway, they are less likely to take your bike.

If you have any information about the stolen bikes or any other theft-related news, let us know and we’ll pass the information on to PC Paul Barber from Richmond Park’s police team.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH

That’s all for this bulletin. As ever, please share this newsletter with your cycling friends - and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

website: richmondparkcyclists.org

twitter: twitter.com/richmondpkcycle

facebook: facebook.com/richmondparkcyclists

Bulletin #14, February 2019

Each month, we are emailing a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the mailout that we sent in February. 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. Have a look at our first bulletin to find out more about how RPC was formed and why we are progressing the idea of reducing traffic in the park by charging for shortcut journeys.

DON’T BE LATE...

...because your gate will be closed when the clock strikes eight. Keep this handy rhyme in mind for the next six weeks or so, because it’s that time of year again when access to the park is limited at night while the bi-annual deer cull is carried out. From Monday 4th February until Monday 18th March the pedestrian gates will be locked from 8pm until 7:30am. For your own safety, do not be tempted to enter if you happen to find a gate open after 8pm - your exit will almost certainly be locked. And your entry gate might be as well by the time you get back to it!

BON CHANCE

You may remember in Bulletin #12 we told you about the appointment of Matthew Bonomi, The Royal Parks’ new Head of Transport and Access. We understand he is going to report his initial findings on all eight parks which are run by TRP. We also believe the idea of generating much-needed funds by charging for shortcut drives through Richmond Park will form part of a raft of proposals for consideration by the board. Having explored the concept of Intelligent Road Charging with park stakeholders and local politicians for some time, we are, of course, cautiously pleased that the deployment of smart, affordable technology to reduce park traffic might get traction soon. We’ll keep you updated.

BADGER ABATING

Badgers have become regular fixtures in our recent bulletins, but this should be the last you hear from our black-and-white buddies for some time - unless the cheeky scamps once again manage to weaken the roads we cycle on by burrowing under them. The road resurfacing, which was the final phase of the works, has been completed quickly. Thank you to The Royal Parks for sorting everything out with a minimum of disruption and accommodating cyclists on the ballet school loop through the middle of the park while the repairs were being carried out. And thanks to all of you for avoiding the site during that time!

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

As ever, Richmond Park Cyclists will be meeting up throughout the year with the people who look after the park. On April 10th we will be attending the second Richmond Park Police Panel of 2019. The third one will be on July 17th. Between them will be The Royal Parks’ Richmond Park Stakeholder Breakfast, which will take place on May 1st. Email us at this address to express any concerns regarding cycling in the park you would like us to bring up. We will remind you of these meetings in our bulletins closer to the dates.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH

That’s all for this bulletin. As ever, please share this newsletter with your cycling friends - and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

website: richmondparkcyclists.org

twitter: twitter.com/richmondpkcycle

facebook: facebook.com/richmondparkcyclists

Bulletin #13, December 2018/January 2019

Each month, we are emailing a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the mailout that we sent at the end of December. 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. Have a look at our first bulletin to find out more about how RPC was formed and why we are progressing the idea of reducing traffic in the park by charging for shortcut journeys.

SETT-ING A QUICK PACE

It’s a Christmas miracle! After a survey revealed that burrowing badgers had done untold damage below ground, the subsequent installation of an underground fence around their sett has been completed early, which means the road from Robin Hood Roundabout to Beverley Brook is now reopened. Many thanks to The Royal Parks and their contractors for getting the first phase finished in double-quick time - and thank you to all the cyclists who avoided the site while the works took place. The second phase, which is to reconstruct the ground beneath the road and remove all cavities, is scheduled to start on Monday 14 January and will take two weeks, so look out for the signs confirming the dates. As before, you should cycle on alternative routes along the Tamsin Trail or the roads through the middle of the park. And remember - the area is a working site, so no tip-toeing around the barriers!

KICK-OFF FOR RANGERS

The number of people coming to the park has been steadily growing for years - and now a recruitment scheme has begun to create a team of community rangers who will make visitors’ experience even better. They will be on hand to provide information about the park, including its wildlife, heritage and management. Volunteers will be vetted, given a uniform and trained by The Royal Parks who have already appointed a ranger manager and who will be based at Holly Lodge. There will also be rangers in Bushy Park. All rangers will encourage best behaviour and welcome cyclists - so give them a wave if you see them when they start to appear during Easter next year. Or if you fancy becoming a ranger yourself, you can fill out an application form. Let us know how you get on!

SITE UPDATE

After the Christmas break we will be putting up information about the committees and meetings we attend, opening and closing times for the park, and other useful bits and pieces for the year ahead. Most have appeared as items in our bulletins, but it will be useful for all of you to have them in one place for easy reference in the future. In the meantime, have a look at our brilliant sponsors on our website and click the links to find out more about them. They enable us to pay our modest expenses, and we thank them for backing us this past year.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH

That’s all for this bulletin. Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year, and most importantly, enjoy your riding. As ever, please share this newsletter with your cycling friends - and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

website: richmondparkcyclists.org

twitter: twitter.com/richmondpkcycle

facebook: facebook.com/richmondparkcyclists

Bulletin #12, November 2018

Each month, we are emailing a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the mailout from November 2018. 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. Have a look at our first bulletin to find out more about how RPC was formed and why we are progressing the idea of reducing traffic in the park by charging for shortcut journeys.

A BIG UP-SETT

Another round of road closures is looming - and although it may sound like we’re making this up, the blame can be firmly placed on the park’s pesky badgers. You may recall from a previous bulletin that the black-and-white blighters have made tunnels and a sett near Robin Hood roundabout. Now a survey has revealed that their underground burrowing has caused such extensive damage that the road, believe it or not, could collapse at any time.

That means the road from Robin Hood Roundabout to the bridge over Beverley Brook is due to close for approximately five weeks while works take place. Keep an eye on Facebook for the announcement of the start date. Depending on progress, the road may reopen over Christmas. In the meantime, you are advised to ride the Tamsin Trail instead while the works are ongoing, although some may prefer the tarmac route past Pen Ponds car park to Sheen Cross.

So why, you may be wondering, will the process take so long? Because Richmond Park is a National Nature Reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest, which means the welfare of the badgers has to pass a higher test than elsewhere. Permits for this kind of work can take several months to be granted, so if The Royal Parks had waited for signs of structural failure before acting, then the outcome would probably be more chaotic and take even longer to resolve.

The badgers are thought to have left the sett, but to avoid the risk of harm if they return, the contractors will install 106 metres of fence going two metres into the ground, hand-digging and weaving around the protected tree roots. They can only do this work from the road, so it will be closed in advance of the excavation and reconstruction. The Royal Parks is asking all cyclists not to ride up to the barriers and walk around them as the verge will be a working site. Keep a lookout for signs and respect their instructions. Courtesy to the contractors and other park users is much appreciated by The Royal Parks and genuinely helps.

Let’s hope the badgers are equally courteous to the contractors and don’t decide to break back in to their abandoned home - or the work may take much longer than anticipated!

MEETING THE NEW GUY

The Royal Parks has recently appointed a new head of transport, and we had a very encouraging meeting with him this week. Matthew Bonomi, who is a cyclist himself, previously lived in Melbourne where he was responsible for implementing transport programmes for nine years. We presented our proposal for Intelligent Road Charging to reduce the number of shortcut journeys made by motor vehicles through the park, and Matthew’s response was very reassuring. After many months of meetings and consultations with interested parties regarding IRC, we think it may be time to hand over the idea to The Royal Parks. Richmond Park Cyclists will be keeping a watch on its progress and checking if it has traction at board level. Onwards and upwards!

BANGING NIGHTS

It’s that time of year when you can sometimes hear the faint echo of gunshot if you are riding on a quiet road near the park at night. That sound should be enough to warn you off from entering, but for the avoidance of doubt you should avoid the park after dark until the deer cull ends, which is pencilled in for the morning of Friday 14 December. The cull may take longer or be over sooner than anticipated, so keep an eye out for signs by the gates.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH

That’s all for this bulletin. Thank you to all those who have picked up one of our postcards in the past few weeks and become new subscribers as a result. As ever, please share this newsletter with your cycling friends - and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

website: richmondparkcyclists.org

twitter: twitter.com/richmondpkcycle

facebook: facebook.com/richmondparkcyclists

Bulletin #11, October 2018

Each month, we are emailing a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the mailout from October 2018. 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. Have a look at our first bulletin to find out more about how RPC was formed and why we are progressing the idea of reducing traffic in the park by charging for shortcut journeys.

TAR VERY MUCH

If you haven’t already tried out the park’s brand new Tarmac on the ring road, then what are you waiting for? The silky smooth blacktop is a joy to ride on and a welcome relief from the worn patches all of us had grown accustomed to. We at Richmond Park Cyclists had reported the areas that had experienced wear and tear but we had not anticipated such a timely response. So thank you, Royal Parks! Works are near complete with the remaining stretch from Robin Hood roundabout to Pen Ponds pencilled in for Spring next year. Watch this space!

POUR US!

The heavens opened for Richmond Park’s Open Day last month at Pembroke Lodge, so thank you to everyone who braved the elements to say hello to us. A superb display of bikes from past and present - including a Penny Farthing and a selection of Raleigh Choppers - was kept dry underneath our gazebo. A big thank you to Cicli Artigianali, Twickenham CC, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo and the Gray family for loaning bikes and helping out at our stall. We were pleased to make a valued contribution to the event alongside other stakeholders and visitors, and the Royal Parks showed much appreciation. The event also saw the debut of our postcards which we are handing out to spread the word about Richmond Park Cyclists. Look out for them appearing at a cafe or shop near you soon!

STAKE YOUR CLAIM

Here’s your chance to get us doing what we do best - representing your interests in Richmond Park. We will be attending the Safer Parks Panel with the Met Police on Wednesday 17th October and the Stakeholders’ Breakfast on 19th November, so let us know what issues, good and bad, you would like us to bring up.  And here’s another date for your diary - the second of the twice-yearly deer cull will commence in early November and last approximately six weeks, during which time you should aim to exit the park by 8pm or risk a long delay to your journey as the gates are locked in rotation. Look out for the signs appearing at the gates!

SLOW NEWS DAY

Interesting news from the councillors of Richmond - they are consulting on slowing traffic to a maximum of 20mph on all roads throughout the borough (except on the two TfL-controlled Red Routes). You will undoubtedly have an opinion on the pros and cons of reducing the speed limit. Have a look at this link and fill in the survey at the end of the page to let the council know what you think.

LAPS OF JUDGEMENT

Those naughty scamps at Road Cycling UK got a slap on the wrist after one of their journalists posted footage of himself doing three laps of the park at an average speed of around 23mph. The video and article could have been interpreted as an encouragement to exceed the 20mph limit, but thankfully, the RCUK website took down the video and article after being contacted. The police and Royal Parks are under renewed pressure to apply the limit to all road users - so please keep an eye on your speed!

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH

That’s all for this bulletin. Thank you to all those who have picked up one of our postcards in the past few weeks and become new subscribers as a result. As ever, please share this newsletter with your cycling friends - and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too.

All the best, 

Richmond Park Cyclists

website: richmondparkcyclists.org

twitter: twitter.com/richmondpkcycle

facebook: facebook.com/richmondparkcyclists

Bulletin #10, September 2018

Each month, we are emailing a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the mailout from September 2018. 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. Have a look at our first bulletin to find out more about how RPC was formed and why we are progressing the idea of reducing traffic in the park by charging for shortcut journeys.

SURFACE WITH A SMILE

First, the good news - you are all going to get a brand new road surface in Richmond Park to ride your bikes on! The bad news, as you might guess, is that the necessary roadworks may disrupt your riding - although not too much, as all gates and roads should remain open. 

The work begins today (Monday 3rd September) and is scheduled to last six weeks. Weekend cycling will not be impacted, except for the London Duathlon on Sunday 16th September (and good luck if you are taking part!). During the week, you will need to walk on the pavement, use pedestrian gates and wait for two-way traffic lights. From week three (around 17th September onwards), you may need to use the Tamsin trail or the pedestrian path between Richmond and Ham at times. 

If the schedule changes or the Royal Parks give us any more information, we will let you know. Check our Facebook and Twitter for updates before our next monthly bulletin.

We also hope to have confirmation that any gravel used for the resurfacing will be higher quality than the type used in 2009, which was a widespread cause of punctures due to the sharpness of the small stones.

So without further ado, here is your handy guide to which parts of the park will be closed and when...

Week 1, Monday 3 to Sunday 9 September

Location: Kingston Gate and Kingston roundabout

From Monday: Park gates will be closed to cars. Cyclists can use pedestrian gates Wednesday to Friday.

Friday: Kingston Gate roundabout will have two-way traffic lights at all times. Cyclists can use pedestrian paths and gates.

Saturday and Sunday: All gates and roads open as usual.

Week 2, Monday 10 to Sunday 16 September

Location: Sheen Cross and road to Sheen Gate

Monday-Friday: Sheen gates, road and pedestrian, will remain open as usual. Two-way traffic lights will be in operation on road and Sheen Cross roundabout, so expect delays. Car park shut for resurfacing of drive. Road to White Lodge and Royal Ballet school will be closed, so staff and residents will drive via Pen Ponds.

Saturday: All gates and roads open.

Sunday: All road gates and roads closed for London Duathlon.

Week 3, Monday 17 to Sunday 23 September       

Location: Roehampton Gate and roundabouts

Monday: Roehampton Gate will be closed for works in carriageway between the gate and the roundabout.

Friday: Two-way traffic lights at roundabout at times.

Saturday and Sunday: All gates and roads open as usual.

Weeks 4-6, Monday 24 September to Friday 13 October

Location: Richmond to Ham

Details to be confirmed. There will be works to Richmond Gate, Richmond Roundabout and the road between Richmond Gate and Ham Cross. Expect road closures and diversions for this stage of the programme. Roads will be open as usual at weekends.

Autumn 2018/Spring or Summer 2019

Location: Robin Hood Roundabout to Pen Ponds Car Park

Resurfacing. Dates and details to be confirmed.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH

That’s all for this bulletin. As ever, share this newsletter with your cycling friends - and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list.

All the best, 

Richmond Park Cyclists

website: richmondparkcyclists.org

twitter: twitter.com/richmondpkcycle

facebook: facebook.com/richmondparkcyclists

Bulletin #9, July 2018

Each month, we are emailing a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the mailout from July 2018. 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. Have a look at our first bulletin to find out more about how RPC was formed and why we are progressing the idea of reducing traffic in the park by charging for shortcut journeys.

LOOK, MUM - NEW SPONSORS!

Many of you will undoubtedly know of bike cafe, bar and workshop Look Mum No Hands! - and we are delighted to announce that the well-loved Old Street institution has become our first sponsor. Welcome aboard, chaps! Cycling clubs that use Richmond Park are also set to swell our coffers and we are confident that local cycling-related businesses will support our ongoing activities. We will update you in our next newsletter.

Having a small raft of sponsors will cover our modest running costs and enable us to keep Richmond Park Cyclists as a free service to you and all our subscribers. You can do your bit by forwarding this bulletin to any of your cycling pals who you think may be interested in having their voice heard by the authorities who run the park, or anyone who would appreciate receiving regular updates on park-related events and developments. As ever, you can sign up on our website here.

A BIT OF A SETT-TO

As you cycle past Robin Hood Roundabout on your way to Roehampton Gate, you may not realise that shadowy creatures sometimes lurk barely more than a foot from your wheels. And you’ll not see them - because they are UNDER your bike.

Industrious badgers have created a network of tunnels that sit a mere 40cm beneath the tarmac - and their labyrinth, which resembles a Swiss cheese, has actually left the road vulnerable to collapse. As their sett is in a National Nature Reserve, the humane destruction of this protected species is out of the question. Other permanent solutions are being weighed up, but in the meantime some temporary options likely to be considered include “plating” - a low-level bridge over the road surface - or one-way traffic.

Badgers are thought to have lived in Richmond Park for centuries. There is sometimes freshly-excavated soil just past the roundabout - so wave if you see one of our venerable black-and-white buddies digging away!

OPEN INVITATION

A reminder that you can meet us in September  at the Richmond Park Open Day in Holly Lodge, where we will be sharing a stand with bike clubs Kingston Wheelers, Twickenham CC and London Dynamo. This will be a superb opportunity for our organisation to promote the group and cycling in general, especially as the lodge is open to the public only every two or three years. Do come along and say hi - it’s a simple way to show your support for what we do. 

We will have some bike exhibits and are hoping to host a Wattbike challenge, so bring along a little energy if you fancy a fun competition.

The Royal Parks has handed us another sort of challenge. Its theme for the day is the First World War, so we are looking for a bike from that era to exhibit. Do you know where we might find one? Get in touch with Paul Harknett at pharknett@virginmedia.com if you have an idea. In the meantime, have a look at event co-hosts the Holly Lodge Centre, a unique charitable organisation that runs educational activities focussed on the heritage and natural environment of the park.

 The date for your diary is Sunday, September 23, 11am-4pm. We’ll see you there!

TIME TO GET FITTER?

Congratulations to all the cyclists who took part in both Richmond Park Time Trials last month. The 20mph speed limit is suspended for the event and the flow of motor vehicle traffic is restricted, which makes it a great opportunity for anyone who wants to try time trialling. The unique 10-mile event is open to anyone who owns a road bike - so there is plenty of time to get fit if you want to be one of the 120 riders on the start list. We’ll let you know when event organisers London Dynamo open online entries next summer.

SUNDAY CLOSING

Good luck to everyone participating in the Prudential Ride London this Sunday, 29th July. And if you’re not taking part, please be aware the park will be closed to all traffic for the ride as well as the professional race in the afternoon. If you fancy watching the pros race through Richmond Park, they should be there by around 2pm.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH

That’s all for this bulletin. As ever, share this newsletter with your cycling friends - and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list.

All the best, and enjoy the terrific cycling weather. 

Richmond Park Cyclists

website: richmondparkcyclists.org

twitter: twitter.com/richmondpkcycle

facebook: facebook.com/richmondparkcyclists

Bulletin #8, May/June 2018

Each month, we are emailing a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is last month's mailout. 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. Have a look at our first bulletin to find out more about how RPC was formed and why we are progressing the idea of reducing traffic in the park by charging for shortcut journeys.

APPENED SO FAST

Like flowers blooming in spring, dockless hire bikes have been appearing all over London - so it was inevitable that they would come to Richmond Park. You probably already know that simply by using an app on your phone you can unlock one of these bicycles and de-hire it, ready for the next user, once you have pedalled to your destination. But like every innovation, change can produce some unexpected challenges - as The Royal Parks has revealed to us.

Dehiring in remote locations within the park has left numerous semi-abandoned bikes, sometimes in unsafe positions. The bike hire firms need to pick up and relocate their bicycles to more popular areas such as train stations - but they do not yet have an agreement to collect from Richmond Park. If they did come in and round up the bikes, the police would fine them for breaching the park’s general ban on commercial vehicles. So at this moment of impasse, TRP is collecting the hire bikes and keeping them locked up near Holly Lodge.

TRP has offered the bike hire companies an opportunity to discuss a solution which, of course, we hope they take up.

In the meantime, we would like to know what YOU think about dockless hire bikes in the park. Do you welcome them? Do you think the number of bikes waiting to be hired in the park spoils the natural landscape? Should the bike hire companies penalise dehiring in the park with very high rates?

Hit that reply button and let us know what you think. We’ll make sure your views are heard by the people who run the park.

VERGE ON THE RIDICULOUS

Like us, you may have found it difficult to get in a few laps of the park during the first May Bank Holiday due to the huge number of motor vehicles. The car parks became full very quickly, causing long queues to get in - and some drivers, perhaps at their wits’ end or simply thinking they could take a risk, chose to leave their cars on grass verges where there were no wooden stumps to stop them.

The last Bank Holiday was a different story. At a prior meeting we had with the police, their representatives agreed to ticket illegally parked cars sooner in the day to deter others who may have been thinking of doing the same thing later on. Officers also placed Met Police cones in dense lines to ward off parking and erected temporary signs at the entrances to car parks warning that it is illegal to leave a car anywhere else in the park.

As a result, there was significantly less fly parking, making the roads safer and less heavily trafficked. So, hopefully, you managed to cycle a lap or two (or more).

TRP is looking into installing more posts to make parking more difficult (although it will not place them on descents as they are hazardous to cyclists if they lose control) and funding is being sought for more temporary signage warning about illegal parking. We’ll keep you (sign)posted!

JOURNEY CONTINUES...

The way ahead for Intelligent Road Charging levied at motor vehicles using the park for shortcut journeys is coming into sharper relief. The ability to raise money for much-needed money for maintenance on roads, car parks and maintenance infrastructure has not been lost on The Royal Parks, so we hope to arrange a meeting once it hires new specialist staff after the summer. Roll on autumn!

CLOSED CALL

Finally, news on imminent road closures. Routes leading to Robin Hood Roundabout will be closed tomorrow (Tuesday 12) and Wednesday 13 June for both days and overnight. This is for resurfacing works and cutting back a tree.

You should be able to ride up to the tree and the roadworks but you will need to dismount to get around the barriers. Alternatively, choose a different route - and be aware that works may overrun.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH

That’s all for this bulletin. As ever, share this newsletter with your cycling friends - and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list.

All the best, and enjoy the terrific cycling weather.

Richmond Park Cyclists

website: richmondparkcyclists.org

twitter: twitter.com/richmondpkcycle

facebook: facebook.com/richmondparkcyclists

Bulletin #7, April 2018

Each month, we are emailing a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is last month's mailout. 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. Have a look at our first bulletin to find out more about how RPC was formed and why we are progressing the idea of reducing traffic in the park by charging for shortcut journeys.

GOING LIVE

Make a note in your diaries - for the first time, Richmond Park Cyclists has scheduled a live event!

The Royal Parks have invited us to put on a stand in collaboration with local cycling clubs at Richmond Park Open Day. It takes place between 11am and 4pm on Sunday, September 23 at Holly Lodge and is expected to draw up to 3,000 visitors. We see this as a great opportunity to promote the group and cycling in general, especially as TRP only opens up the lodge to the public every two or three years. The Friends of Richmond Park, the Wildlife Group and other stakeholder groups will be exhibiting.

Initial ideas for our stand include a Wattbike challenge and an exhibition of bicycles new and old. There is a First World War theme this year, so The Royal Parks have asked us whether we can exhibit a bike from that era. We might need some help with that one!

We will give more thought to the size and content of our stand in the coming weeks. Stand by for an appeal for exhibits and possibly some assistance with manning on the day.

In the meantime, you may want to have a look at the Holly Lodge Centre, the charitable organisation that is co-hosting the event, to find out more about this unique organisation. With shire horses, a Victorian classroom and an amazing apothecary - all of which will be available to the public at the open day - the centre runs educational activities focussed on the heritage and natural environment of the park.

And we might have another live event coming up as a local business has got in touch offering its premises for a meeting. We’ll keep you posted!

RUNNING ORDER

As we mentioned in last month’s bulletin, there’s going to be a running event taking place next month. The Timothy James & Partners London 10 Mile on Sunday, May 13 will see the park road partially shut, so look out for advisory signs closer to the day - and good luck to everyone taking part!

POLLING DELAY  

With local politicians focussed on the imminent local elections, our efforts to explore Intelligent Road Charging for shortcut journeys through the park have taken a necessary pause. But we will renew our efforts soon, so please forward this email to anyone you know who cycles in Richmond Park. We would love to add them to our mailing list so we can have as big a voice as possible.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

website: richmondparkcyclists.org

twitter: twitter.com/richmondpkcycle

facebook: facebook.com/richmondparkcyclists