RPC Bulletin #92, September 2025

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in September 2025. 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… +++ Geraint Thomas pays a visit – exclusive photos +++ Park road one of ten London speeding hotspots +++ Head-on collision narrowly avoided +++ Why you should write to the park’s MP +++ 

Visit our sponsors: Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Forge 1860,  Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Richmond Cycles, Richmond Park Rouleurs, Sigma Sports, Waldy Wheelers

TOUR DE FANS

It’s not often you spot a Tour de France champion walking across the Roehampton Gate car park, but that’s precisely what we witnessed one Friday afternoon last month. 

Having arrived unannounced, Geraint Thomas seemed to have a lovely time chatting to fans who were amazed to see him riding alongside them in Richmond Park and the surrounding area. He had a camera crew in tow (as well as a GoPro attached to his helmet) and the footage has now been edited into short promotional films for Lloyds Bank, which will be shown around the ad breaks during the Welsh wonderman’s valedictory event, the Tour of Britain. Free-to-air coverage of the race begins tomorrow (Tuesday) on ITV4 at 10.40am, with highlights of the first stage at 8pm. 

In the meantime, you can head over to our Instagram to look at exclusive photos of the film shoot, and some of the people he met on the day. Please send us your pics if you were one of them. 

Our thanks to RPC subscriber Oliver Hill for providing the behind-the-scenes images and photos of him riding in the park with Geraint. 

SNAP HAPPY

It was pleasing to see the happy pictures generated by Geraint’s visit. Throughout the year, we feature everyday photos of cyclists enjoying the park on our Instagram, and we would love to include more. Send yours to us, either by tagging @richmondparkcyclists on Insta or emailing them to us so we can share them.

DARK DAY

Those of you who, like us, were cycling up Dark Hill on the morning of Tuesday, August 12, will have seen an abandoned car on the left-hand side of the road with its rear end badly smashed. 

The metallic blue Vauxhall hatchback was driven by a young woman who overtook a black BMW down the hill at 7.40pm the previous night. She swerved to avoid two cyclists going uphill, hit a tree and veered across the road. She was shaken but refused an ambulance. The two drivers apparently know each other.

Most of that account was given to us by an eyewitness. One of the cyclists involved reported the incident to the police. He told us: “They were clearly going silly/racing. Driver needs to be banned.”

But the Met Police’s traffic team in Sidcup, which is separate to the park’s police unit, have told the cyclist: “As there is no victim in this case other than the driver themselves we do not have the resources to investigate unless she herself reports the incident.” It suggests filling out a form on its website “which will then be triaged by another [sic] who will decide whether they have sufficient information to pass it on to the relevant team.” 

Meanwhile, Sgt Pete Sturgess from the park’s policing unit tells us that to fully investigate, police would “need more than one statement to support any evidence, ideally video footage” – which the cyclists do not appear to have. That means the driver, who could have killed or seriously injured two people, may not be prosecuted.

We reiterate that, despite occasional alarming incidents such as this, the park is still much safer for cycling than ordinary roads in London. But some cyclists, particularly the less confident, will surely be put off riding in the park when they know a minority of drivers not only behave terribly but can also get away with it. The Royal Parks owes it to them to concentrate on curbing bad driving, rather than needlessly focus on cycling speeds, which have far less impact on safety.

A final note on another incident that took place on Dark Hill in June, which involved a male cyclist aged 50 to 60 crashing into a child aged five to eight in the evening. As we reported last month, the cyclist was taken to hospital on a spine board and the child seemed to have less serious injuries. Sgt Pete has now confirmed that the incident was not reported to the police, so he cannot shed any further light on the matter.  

YOUR OLNEY CHANCE

When it comes to feeling safe in the park, who does The Royal Parks listen to? One key person is Sarah Olney, the Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park. Unfortunately, most of the complaints she receives and passes on to TRP are about cyclists, which creates the skewed impression that most of the dangers on the park’s roads come from people like you.

To redress the balance, we encourage you to contact Sarah’s team whenever you encounter bad driving, dogs off leads running into the road, or any of the other factors that adversely impact your enjoyment of cycling in the park. Email office@saraholney.com, and please copy us in.

QUEEN’S HIGHWAY

Recent figures on motoring offences in London indicate what might be abandoned once the park’s police unit is disbanded by November to help cover the Met’s funding shortfall.

Queen’s Road in Richmond Park, which runs between Kingston and Richmond gates, has been ranked fifth on a list of the the top ten roads for speeding in the capital. The figures, which have been compiled by a personal injury firm, are based on Fixed Penalty Notices and Traffic Offence Reports issued by the Met in the year ending March 2025. You can read a news report on the data here. 

Speeding is undoubtedly a long-running issue in the park, and even in recent months, we succeeded in getting the police to focus on drivers exceeding the limit during the morning rush hour. But the probable reason why Queen’s Road has ranked so highly in this study is that drivers passing through are more likely to have a speed gun pointing at them than those on ordinary roads, as the park’s police have always been very proactive in catching those who ignore the limits. 

There has been no indication that the three neighbouring police wards who will take over from the park’s unit will be as focussed on speeding drivers – and they will not be compelled to present figures on offences every three months to ourselves and the other members of the Safer Parks Panel, which they do at present. But such information should be available from the police, and we will request it.

GUIDING YOU THROUGH

We’re introducing a new section of the newsletter. Each month, we will include a quick excerpt from the Safer Riding Guide, our list of tips to help create a welcoming environment for every type of cyclist and other park visitors. And as the nights draw in, what better place to start than riding when it’s dark?

• Use lights at night. It is a legal requirement to have front and back lights when it is dark. As there is no street lighting in the park, please set your front beam to constant, rather than flashing. Make sure your light is dipped to avoid dazzling oncoming road users.

The full guide, which was put together with the help of our subscribers and the park’s police, is available here.

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

RPC Bulletin #91, August 2025

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in August 2025. 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… +++ Why you should download What3Words +++ The very last rundown of incidents the police have been called to +++ ‘Spitting’ probe concludes +++ 

Visit our sponsors: Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Forge 1860,  Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Richmond Cycles, Richmond Park Rouleurs, Sigma Sports, Waldy Wheelers

WHAT THREE WORDS…

Would you know where Killcat Corner is? There are many obscure names still used for locations in Richmond Park, as well as more familiar ones such as Broomfield Hill or Sawyer’s Hill, and the officers who patrol the park have become familiar with them all over many years. But with the imminent disbanding of the police unit, it is less likely that the coppers who replace them will have this useful local knowledge, which could cause confusion when members of the public report incidents to them.

This is why Sgt Pete Sturgess, who remains in charge of policing Richmond Park until November at the latest, is encouraging everyone to download What3Words. As the app uses your mobile phone to provide a unique three-word address for your current location, you don’t need to worry about trying to identify the exact spot, which is especially useful in an emergency. 

You can get What3Words for free here. For a reminder of the best way to submit a report to the police for any reason, see our FAQ page, under the heading, “What should I do if I am involved in a road traffic incident in the park?”

And in case you were wondering, Killcat Corner is on Priory Lane (the road between Roehampton and Robin Hood gates) near the bridge over Beverley Brook. But judging by The Royal Parks’ map, it doesn’t appear to be an actual corner. Mystery partially solved!

…AND WHAT THREE WARDS?

So farewell, then, the Safer Parks Police Panel – and hello to another panel, with the same people on it, minus the police.

We attended the final SPPP meeting three weeks ago, where it was decided that RPC and all the other stakeholder groups present would continue to meet every three months, just as we did before, to discuss the park’s safety issues. Our thanks to park manager Paul Richards, who delivers his report at every meeting, for allowing the panel to keep using Holly Lodge.

But local officers who are replacing the park’s police unit, which will be disbanded by November due to funding cuts, won’t be compelled to attend. This means we will not have easily accessible information on road incidents in the park, in the form of the police’s quarterly report, nor will we be able to set some of the police’s objectives, as we have in the past, to target the minority of drivers who make the park less welcoming for cycling.

To carry on engaging with the police, the panel plans to attend at least one of its Safer Neighbourhood Groups as well as TRP’s stakeholder meetings, the latter of which we already attend. 

Responsibility for policing the park will be shared between three wards: South Richmond, East Sheen and Ham, Petersham And Richmond Riverside. We are told that Holly Lodge, which is the current base for the park’s unit, could still be used as a police facility post-disbanding, which would mean there would be a visible police presence in the park. But there are still question marks over how effective this new form of policing will be, especially with regards to the roads which we all enjoy cycling on. Nevertheless, we will fully engage with police from the three wards, just as we have done over the years with the park’s unit.

THE FINAL RUNDOWN

Time for a look at the very last police report to the SPPP which, as usual, details all the incidents on the park’s roads that officers have attended during the past quarter. Our thanks to Sgt Pete for compiling this information over the years. (Note that, due to the police unit’s staffing decreasing in the run-up to disbandment, the usual figures for traffic offences and breaches of park regulations have not been collected.)

• There was a failed attempt to steal a bike from its owner on Friday, April 4. The PC who dealt with the incident said the suspect threatened to stab the cyclist, but there was no weapon visible. Prior to this, they had also chased after a pedestrian. (The police report does not provide a location for either incident.)

• A bike was stolen on Tuesday, April 29. The thief had sawn through the lock. No location is given in the police report. There was another bike stolen, on Monday, June 9, from the Isabella Plantation. It was not locked. The bike had been rented out by the Parkcycle hire shop, and all of its bicycles have now been registered on the police database to deter thieves.

• A pedestrian running on the ballet school road on Sunday, April 27 turned sharply, hitting an oncoming cyclist. The pedestrian sustained a deep cut to the back of their head, bruises on their body, and a jolt to their jaw. The cyclist had cuts and grazes.

• On Saturday, May 3, a cyclist heading towards Kingston Gate collided with a woman crossing Queen’s Road. The woman and another pedestrian were halfway across when the latter saw the cyclist. They raised their arm to indicate that the woman should stop, but she carried on walking – and the cyclist also continued, thinking she was stopping. The cyclist, whose view was obscured by the other person, hit the victim. Injuries to the woman, who required stitches, include cuts to the back of the head and left arm, and a grazed elbow.

• There was another incident on Queen’s Road. On Thursday, 22 May, a driver failed to see a cyclist and hit the rear wheel of their bike, leaving the rider with fractures to their ribs, elbow and knee, as well as pain in their left ankle.

• On Saturday, May 24, a cyclist on an electric bike swerved across the grass to avoid a deer on the Sawyer’s Hill footpath and tried to join the road but hit an anthill and came off. Their injuries included a broken pelvis, four broken ribs, a broken leg and bruises.

IN THE DARK

There was another collision in the park, but this one did not appear in the report to the panel as there were no officers in the park at the time and the police were not called to attend the scene.

It took place on the evening of Tuesday, June 10, on Dark Hill, and the only details we have come from an acquaintance of a subscriber who stopped to help. They saw a male cyclist, aged 50 to 60, who had blood on his face from a crash, and a child aged five to eight who was also injured. Two people were already dealing with the cyclist and on the phone to emergency services. The rider who stopped wrote: “I checked for breathing and blood. Asked them not to move him as blood on the face, head impact likely, not moving so potential spine injury and concussion as he was not with it. Did another lap and ambulance had the spine board out for him.”

While concerning, this is just a single account of the scene, and we do not yet know how the crash occurred. Sgt Pete Sturgess is currently on leave, and we will ask him to make further enquiries when he returns.

‘SPITTING’ PROBE OVER

London Dynamo has concluded its investigation into the allegation that one of its members spat at an oncoming cyclist on Priory Lane in June after “taking up more than three-quarters of the road” as they overtook another rider. 

Chair Andy Taylor said in a statement: “In the absence of evidence or witness accounts, we are unable to verify this specific incident or take further action against any individual at this time. We do understand the distress such an encounter could cause, and we appreciate the complainant's wish to raise the issue with us directly as well as through the appropriate authorities. We will continue to cooperate fully with any investigation, should any new evidence present itself.”

Andy, who met the complainant, is keen to improve rider behaviour and is receptive to our input. We will be meeting with him and other members of the club’s committee in the coming weeks.

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

RPC Bulletin #90, July 2025

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in July 2025. 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… +++ Welcome to our new co-sponsors +++ Motorist mounts kerb and hits cyclist +++ Say goodbye to Thomson’s Teeth +++ Dynamo ‘spitting’ incident +++ More club rides added to our list +++ Sir Loyd Grossman’s tenure as The Royal Parks’ chair extended +++    

Visit our sponsors: Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Forge 1860,  Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Richmond Cycles, Richmond Park Rouleurs, Sigma Sports, Waldy Wheelers

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

A warm welcome to our new co-sponsors, Waldy Wheelers. The Teddington-based cycling club is the newest organisation to join our growing line-up of supporters, which has been quietly evolving over the past few months. Richmond Park Rouleurs is another new entrant, and the Pearson brothers’ bike shop Forge1860 replaces Pearson, which has been spun off into a separate bike brand.

Our thanks to all three, and the rest of our sponsors featured on the masthead of our bulletin. You can find out more about them by clicking the links above. Their involvement supports all of our endeavours to help make Richmond Park an even better place to ride your bike, including the delivery of this monthly newsletter to your inbox.

PRIORY WARNING

A word of caution if you use Priory Lane to get to the park: we have been told that a motorist intentionally mounted the kerb on that road and hit a cyclist.

The incident took place the Saturday before last, near the lights at the junction with Upper Richmond Road. The cyclist was heading towards the park when a driver in a light blue estate car pulled up close and yelled at them to “get in the cycle lane”. The cyclist told the motorist to stay away before switching to the cycle lane – but the driver followed them, mounted the kerb and hit the rider, breaking the car’s wing mirror. The victim, who was thankfully unhurt, has informed the police.

Sadly, tolerance of cyclists can often be lacking among impatient drivers using Priory Lane. So if you experience a similarly threatening situation, report it to the police, using the guide on our new FAQs page.

TEETH KNOCKED OUT

Thomson’s Teeth are being extracted. On Friday park staff were toiling in the summer heat between Robin Hood and Kingston gates, knocking out the ankle-high timber stumps with mallets by the side of the road.

The teeth – named after George Thomson, who installed thousands of them during his tenure as Park Superintendent from 1951 to 1971 – prevent motorists from parking on the grass verges. But they are also a hazard – a few of us at Richmond Park Cyclists still remember a particularly horrible incident more than 20 years ago which left a cyclist in a serious condition after he skidded on wet tarmac and fell on to one of them chest-first. (Thankfully, after weeks in hospital, he made a full recovery.)

Some of the stumps have already been removed from hilly areas of the park, and the rest will be taken out in phases. Paul Richards, our park manager, tells us he plans to replace some of them in key locations with a “landscape treatment” such as a “mound, ditch, or a combination of both” to prevent errant car parking. Our thanks to him for making the park’s roadsides safer.

DYNAMO PROBE

London Dynamo is investigating a serious incident that allegedly took place during its club ride on the morning of Saturday, June 21.

The complainant, who was cycling in the park on Priory Lane heading towards Broomfield Hill, says he shouted “yo!” at an oncoming group of Dynamos because they were “taking up more than three-quarters of the road” as they overtook another rider. He maintains one of the group spat in his face as he went past. He has reported the incident to the police, The Royal Parks and the club.

Naturally, the Dynamo committee is very concerned and has launched an investigation. Once it has concluded we will report the outcome.

GROUPING TOGETHER

Our roster of group rides is expanding. We’ve added three more – two run by our co-sponsors Forge1860 and Waldy Wheelers, plus Velosport cycling club – to the list on the new Frequently Asked Questions section of the Richmond Park Cyclists website. We have also corrected the information for Richmond Park Velo – our apologies to them for the error. Take a look at the full list here.

Our thanks to everyone who has contributed. Please let us know if you run a group ride in the park, or a ride that meets in the park, so we can add yours to the list. Time permitting, we will also continue attending the Forge1860 social ride on Fridays, meeting at 7.30am outside Colicci, so please come along and say hi if you are around.

CHAIR BOUND

There’s no change at the top. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has extended Sir Loyd Grossman’s term as The Royal Parks’ chair for nine months until February next year while it carries on looking for a permanent replacement.

As we reported in October, the former MasterChef host was asked to stay on when the incoming Labour government removed Conservative appointee Dame Mary Archer as chair before she had even taken up the unpaid post. 

The chair runs TRP’s board of trustees, which has significant control of Richmond Park. It is the board that could ultimately decide to remove through traffic, which is a key part of our vision. But with no permanent chair, the likelihood of TRP being willing to back a trial ban on cut-through journeys remains unclear. Roll on February 2026…

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

RPC Bulletin #89, June 2025

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in June 2025. 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… +++ Safer Parks Police Panel coming to an end +++ Cyclist knocked down by dog off lead +++ Check out our list of club rides in the park +++ 

Visit our sponsors: Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Forge 1860,  Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Richmond Cycles, Richmond Park Rouleurs, Sigma Sports

LONG GOODBYE

The farewell to the park’s police force has begun. As we mentioned in passing last month, the gradual dismantling of the Operational Command Unit to help plug the Met’s funding gap will be completed by the start of November – and now Sgt Pete Sturgess, who leads the park’s policing team, has told us that next month’s meeting of the Safer Parks Police Panel will be the last. 

Long-time subscribers will know that the panel is where the police set their priorities for the quarter-year. In the past, we have got them to focus on catching motorists who have ignored no-entry signs on the roads or exceeded the speed limit. But with Sgt Pete’s officers slowly leaving the unit to take up policing jobs elsewhere, he may not have the staff to fulfil whatever priorities are set by us and the other members of the SPPP, which is why he has now sensibly chosen to pull the plug.

Another panel is likely to be set up by one of the wards neighbouring the park, and we should be invited to join, but it remains to be seen whether it will be as easy or effective for us and other stakeholders to set policing priorities when there is no longer a dedicated unit. And while the police have committed to responding to 999 calls from the park, there is concern that policing will be less proactive in finding breaches of the law and the park regulations, such as keeping an eye out for speeding motorists and unauthorised trade vehicles. Hopefully more will become clear at the next panel meeting.

OFF-LEAD INVESTIGATORS

A timely example has emerged of the useful work carried out by the park’s police which may not necessarily happen when they are replaced.

Last Sunday a dog off a lead, which was chasing a deer, ran out into the road on Sawyer’s Hill and knocked over a cyclist, who suffered broken ribs and injuries to her head. An ambulance took her away and she is believed to be still in hospital. The park’s regulations state that all dogs should be on leads at this time of year – but the ambulance crew did not report the incident to the police as no motor vehicles were involved.

Thankfully, the cyclist’s husband contacted the park’s police and they are now liaising with him. An officer is currently advising the man to report the incident and submit footage from a video camera which the cyclist had running when the dog collided with her.

Without a dedicated team to speak to and chase up incidents like this, it might not be as straightforward to get them reported, and therefore recorded as data. We thank the park’s police for attempting to make sure that this collision, and others like it, are recorded in their official  statistics.

CLUBBED TOGETHER

Quite a while ago, we asked clubs and groups to submit details of rides that they run in Richmond Park which we could publicise on our website – then we became distracted by our discussions with The Royal Parks and the removal of the park’s police unit. Now, however, we’ve finally got round to publishing them.

The rides are now listed on the new Frequently Asked Questions page on our website. You can find it here.

Many thanks to all the clubs who contributed. If you would like to add your ride to the list, please email us. More cycling-related questions and answers will appear on the page in due course.

TWINNING RIDE

Next weekend, Richmond celebrates 65 years of being twinned with both Fontainebleau in France and Konstanz in Germany. There is a whole series of events, including a ride organised by our friends at Richmond Cycling Campaign. All the events are shown on the council’s site, and RCC is inviting locals to join their ride on June 7. Sign up here if you’re interested. 

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

RPC Bulletin #88, May 2025

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in May 2025. 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… +++ The Royal Parks target speed with its cycling code of conduct +++ Our rundown of incidents attended by the police +++ Watch the birdies – there’s a goose on the loose! +++ 

Visit our sponsors: Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Forge 1860, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Richmond Cycles, Richmond Park Rouleurs, Sigma Sports

CODED MESSAGE

The Royal Parks has finally published its cycling code of conduct for its entire estate more than ten months after commencing discussions with us. It will be part of a campaign run over the spring and summer, and new signage is also being introduced in the parks. 

The code’s general ethos of showing considerate behaviour towards other park visitors is laudable, and we are pleased that the text reflects many of our recommendations. Unfortunately, however, the wording we asked for concerning speed was rejected by The Royal Parks. 

The final version of the code specifically states: “Do not ride in excess of 20mph in any circumstance.” This new stipulation is unenforceable, as there are no legal speed limits for cyclists on any UK roads. And by shifting the focus away from safety and on to speed, TRP is in danger of making the thousands of ordinary folk who choose to cycle in its parks seem like a significant threat to the public, which they are not.

It is worth remembering that the police do not use speed in itself as a measure of danger. There would have to be an additional aggravating factor, such as weaving around motor vehicles while passing them on a descent, or failing to slow down when a pedestrian is crossing, for you to fall foul of the park’s officers – and you could get pulled over in such circumstances if you were going under 20mph on the loop road. 

Apprehending the small number of selfish and dangerous cyclists is of course something we fully support. But ONS statistics show that pedestrian deaths involving cyclists are incredibly rare, with only 12 occurring nationally in four years. Morever, as our friends at the London Cycling Campaign have already noted: “The biggest cause of road danger to anyone inside a royal park remains drivers.” TRP should have a code of conduct for everyone who uses its roads, not just cyclists.

The focus on 20mph inevitably threatens the park’s two time trials and the London Duathlon ever coming back following their suspension last year. To reinstate them would seem to contradict TRP’s own code. Nevertheless, we will continue to argue for their return, as they are of huge value to the sports cycling community and, more importantly, none of the events have ever had any serious safety issues.

In the meantime, as the Standard reported, TRP is also actively seeking to go further by implementing enforceable speed limits through a proposed change to its regulations – but this process requires consultation and a vote in Parliament, which could result in it being rejected, and is likely to take years. 

How it would be enforced is another matter – as regular readers of this bulletin know, the park’s police unit is being disbanded to save money, and it remains to be seen if the enforcement of regulations will be as diligent as it is at present (although we do know, following a letter this week from the Met to us and other members of the Safer Parks Police Panel, that the unit will be replaced by local neighbourhood teams by November 1).

In any case, TRP’s code is nowhere near as extensive as our own Safer Riding Guide, which gives a more complete overview of considerate cycling, covering many important aspects such as riding two abreast which TRP’s five brief paragraphs do not mention. We will continue to promote our SRG for the benefit of Richmond Park.

In the unlikely event you are stopped or harassed regarding your speed within Richmond Park, remain calm and courteous, acknowledge any concerns politely, but know your legal rights. 

If you cycle safely and considerately, above or below the motor vehicle speed limit, you are not breaking the law.

REPORT RUNDOWN

Here’s our regular look at incidents on the park’s roads and the Tamsin Trail that the police have attended. As ever, this information comes from the report presented to the Safer Parks Police Panel, which we sit on, and we are the only organisation to publish these accounts. Note that our last quarterly meeting was a month later than usual, so the following is shorter than usual as it only covers a two-month period.

• There was a single bike theft. In February, a suspect on an electric bike stole a bicycle and bag whilst the victim was sitting in a tree between Stag Lodge and Pen Ponds.

• As first reported in our March bulletin, there was a major crash in February involving three vehicles between Kingston Gate and Ham Cross. This was caused by one of the drivers suffering a medical episode leading them to swerve across the road, colliding with two oncoming vehicles. The ensuing aftermath attended by the London Fire Brigade was dramatic, but thankfully no life-changing injuries resulted.

• In March, there were two incidents constituting public order offences. On Sawyer’s Hill a suspect on a bike verbally abused a driver after they seemingly drove dangerously close to them. The cyclist then tried to remove the driver's car keys, failed to do so and rode away. Also, a cyclist riding off-track was shouted at by a dog walker who stood over her and prodded her shoulder whilst his dogs were barking at them. On the Middle Road, a motorist caused a cyclist to swerve off the narrow road and fall, causing bruising, a sprained wrist, grazes and swelling to the right knee, right elbow and right hand. And on Roehempton Roundabout, a cyclist fell, breaking their hip and fracturing their pelvis. The London Fire Brigade attended as there were reports as on previous weather related occasions of a slippery surface, evidence of which was not found but as a precaution, the surface was washed and treated.

Traffic offences and relevant breaches of park regulations were as follows:

Trade vehicles – 93

Unauthorised parking/unattended – 66

Driving not on a road – 18

Speed – 30

Off-track cycling – 2

Contravening signs (including closed roads) – 2

Cycling to endanger any person – 0

Driving a vehicle to endanger any person – 4

Driving without due care – 0

Using a mobile while driving – 0

No valid license – 1

No insurance – 5

No cycle lights after dark – 0

Faulty vehicle lights – 0

No MOT – 0

This quarter’s priorities for policing, set at the meeting, are pedestrian safety (courtesy crossings, middle road, and gravel bikes on the Tamsin Trail), cycling safety (Beverly Brook obedience and motorist behaviour) and wildlife protection (deer protection, dogs around skylark fields and barbecues).

GOOSE BUMPED

Watch out for the geese. We’ve seen them having a lovely time on Broomfield Hill recently, with a few nonchalantly sitting in the road at the top and the bottom of the climb while we’ve been enjoying the park on weekday mornings. 

Now a subscriber tells us that one took flight from the grass as he was descending and, unable to swerve in time, he hit the fast-moving waterfowl, resulting in him coming off his bike. He ended up with a broken hip, road rash on his legs and a nine-day stay in hospital which included surgery. The goose appears to have scarpered unscathed.

Our subscriber would like to show his gratitude to the strangers who stuck around, calling an ambulance and his wife while he lay injured. “I wouldn't have got through that ordeal without them,” he says, “and it was a good reminder of how many kind people there are out there.” So if you are Felix, Alex or Bepia, or a midwife or an off-duty police officer, and you were at the scene of the accident on Sunday, April 13, consider yourself thanked by an on-the-mend cyclist. 

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

RPC Bulletin #87, April 2025

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Update on TRP cycling policy review and code of conduct +++ Possibility of ANPR on park roads +++ Cyclists falling on slippery roundabouts +++ Take part in Richmond council’s transport consultation +++ Another chance to get your bike on national database for free +++

Visit our sponsors: Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Forge 1860,  Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Richmond Cycles, Richmond Park Rouleurs, Sigma Sports

ENCOURAGING SIGNS

After almost nine months, our discussions with The Royal Parks regarding its revised cycling policy and a new code of conduct for cyclists are progressing well. 

We are pleased that TRP’s Director of Parks, Darren Share, and his colleagues appear close to completing a draft – prepared with input from ourselves, Regent’s Park Cyclists and the London Cycling Campaign – to submit to their board of trustees.

Together with our own Safer Riding Guide, we are confident that the wording adopted by TRP will reflect the Highway Code and encourage respectful behavioural change among the minority of cyclists who are inclined to ride inconsiderately.

CAMERA FOCUS

The future of policing in the park is still unclear following Sgt Pete Sturgess’s announcement in February that it is “99 percent certain” his unit will be dissolved by the end of the year to help plug the Met’s £450million funding gap. 

The Safer Park’s Police Panel, which we sit on, wrote to senior police last month seeking assurances that whatever replaces the park’s Operational Command Unit will continue to focus on patrolling the roads, general speed checks on motorists and other vital police work. Superintendent Owen Renowden from The Royal Parks OCU responded, assuring the panel that the points raised in the letter are “key considerations in any future decisions” without explaining what might replace his unit.

But the uncertainty has opened up the possibility that some of the unit’s traffic work could be replaced by Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras. Trade vehicles and other unauthorised vehicles as well as speeding motorists could all be caught if ANPR is intelligently applied.

Of course, if through traffic was banned – which remains our key policy – there would be no need for any kind of road traffic cameras. But in the meantime, with looming budget cuts to the police, technology could provide a solution to the perennial problem of catching errant motorists who disturb the enjoyment of the park for many people.

ON THE SLIDE

Take care on the park’s roundabouts. A number of cyclists have been sliding off on them, even though the roads have been swept.

On Friday, March 7, we received a report of seven riders who fell over during a 20-minute period at Richmond Gate roundabout – one of whom broke their thumb. The roads were swept on Wednesday 17 – but on the following Saturday, there were a number of cyclists who hit the deck on Richmond, Kingston and Roehampton roundabouts. Similar incidents during wintertime have been reported in previous editions of this bulletin.

Park manager Paul Richards says that the London Fire Brigade applied some material to Roehampton Gate as a precaution as there was a report of an oil spill but there was “nothing evident”.

There have been no further falls that we know of, and the weather has been warmer and drier lately which usually means the roads become less slippery. Nevertheless, the park management is monitoring the situation, so please let us know if you encounter any treacherous conditions.  

PIN POINTS

Richmond council wants to hear your opinions on transport conditions in the borough – and that includes the park.

Head over to its interactive map and simply drop a pin on any area you would like to comment on. You can read the points that have already been raised about the park’s roadway by selecting the relevant spots, which are colour-coded to denote positive as well as negative views. So feel free to say nice things if you want!

The council says the feedback will shape its plan to deliver long-term sustainable and inclusive transport improvements in the borough over the next 15 years. You can sign up for updates, and you have until next month to offer feedback.

HEAD TO THE HOOD

The police’s next bike marking event is taking place on Saturday, April 12 – and for the first time, the location will be Robin Hood Gate.

As always, you won’t have to pay a penny to put your pride and joy on the National Cycle Database. Registering your bicycle is a deterrent to thieves – and if it is nicked, you stand a much better chance of getting it back. 

The police have yet to confirm the time, so we will post it on our social media once we know. Our thanks once again to Sgt Sturgess and Met officers for organising this useful service.

CRASH UPDATE

Finally, a quick update on the three-car crash that took place on Queen’s Road shortly before our March bulletin came out. 

One of the drivers involved reportedly had a medical emergency and lost consciousness, hitting the two other vehicles. They were travelling at around 20mph.

Despite the dramatic scenes as the fire brigade cut the roof off the car, there were no life-changing or threatening injuries.

We posted this info on our social media a few days after the last mailout. The police have now confirmed the crash is still under investigation, so there is no further information for the time being. We’ll let you know when we have more details.

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

RPC Bulletin #86, March 2025

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in March 2025. 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… +++ Three injured in major crash +++ Police unit “99 percent certain” to be canned +++ Move to stop commuters using Kingston Gate car park +++ What to do if you’re brought down by a dog off a lead +++ Why flight path change might spoil your enjoyment of the park +++

Visit our sponsors: Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Forge 1860,  Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Richmond Cycles, Richmond Park Rouleurs, Sigma Sports

MAJOR CRASH

Three vehicles were involved in a serious collision on Queen’s Road in Richmond Park on Friday morning. Three people were taken to hospital for urgent treatment and the road between Kingston Gate and Ham Cross was closed. We received an unconfirmed report that emergency services had to cut the roof off one of the cars to rescue a passenger.

News regarding this incident came in while putting together this newsletter, so we don’t currently have further details. When we do, we’ll post more on social media. In the meantime, you can read a news report here.

COPS STOPPED

Having been targeted by the Met for the axe to help fill a £450million funding gap, the fate of the park’s police now appears to be sealed. 

The unit’s sergeant Pete Sturgess announced to Richmond Park Cyclists and other members of the Safer Parks Police Panel on a Zoom call two weeks ago that it is “99 percent certain” his team will be dissolved some time between April and December. He confirmed no officers would be made redundant, but none of the unit know where they will be redeployed, nor what form of policing will replace them.

The following week, at the panel’s scheduled quarterly meeting, RPC and the other stakeholders present decided to write to Chief Superintendent Clair Kelland, who is in charge of policing for south-west London, seeking assurances that whatever replaces the park’s Operational Command Unit will continue to focus on vital areas of police work in the park. The final draft of the letter is currently being written by panel chair Dr Fionna Moore.

The main assurance that RPC is seeking is that the SPPP will continue. As long-time subscribers may know, the panel’s quarterly meetings give us the opportunity to set priorities for the police which benefit cyclists, such as targeting speeding motorists shortcutting through the park in the morning. We also want the police to maintain a visible presence, patrol the roads and continue with general speed checks. 

But with fewer resources and manpower, one obvious way to mitigate the reduction in policing is to close the park to through traffic, which takes considerable time and effort to police, particularly in the case of unauthorised trade vehicles which enter the gates in huge numbers. Could this significant change eventually prompt The Royal Parks to stop cut-through journeys for a trial period (which, of course, is one of our long-term goals)?

LIMITING FACTOR

The dissolution of the park’s police unit may also impact The Royal Parks’ aim to introduce a speed limit for cyclists across its estate. 

As we stated in our November bulletin, it already seemed unlikely that the Government would have the inclination to bring in such a law specifically for London’s royal parks, which only have a few dozen miles of roadway between them, when limits don’t apply to the hundreds of thousands of miles of British roads. Now, with the park’s police unit canned and no plan from the Met on what will replace it, how a limit would be policed is even less clear. 

This is one area we would like to explore with Darren Share, TRP’s Director of Parks, when we see him on Monday to resume discussions on their review of cycling policy after our meeting in December had to be postponed.

REPORT RUNDOWN

Time for our regular look at the incidents on the park’s roads and the Tamsin Trail that the police have attended. For the benefit of newer subscribers to this bulletin, this information is usually collated over a quarterly period and is presented to the Safer Parks Police Panel, which we sit on alongside the park manager, local councillors and other stakeholders. Our quarterly meeting was a month later than usual, so this report is for a four-month period.

• There was a single bike theft. In October, an employee working at Pembroke Lodge had their lock cut and bicycle stolen. 

• In October a driver cut the roundabout at Robin Hood Gate and hit a cyclist who was approaching from Broomfield Hill resulting in the cyclist sustaining a broken wrist and fractured collar bone. The cyclist did not wish to support a prosecution, so no further action was taken. (For more detail and our opinion, see our November 2024 newsletter.) A cyclist travelling at 10pm on the roadway past The Royal Ballet School collided with a deer and sustained a fractured pelvis, sacrum and pubic bone, broken three ribs, fractured their left clavicle and suffered a hemotoma on their bladder.

• In November between Roehampton Gate and Priory Lane a cyclist clipped the rear wheel of another cyclist in front of him, lost control and fell, breaking their collarbone and sustaining a deep laceration to their head, plus concussion. At Robin Hood Roundabout a cyclist fell, losing consciousness with no memory of the incident. Nobody else was involved and it was therefore believed to be a “medical incident”. The rider suffered abrasions and cuts to their face and knees.

• In December a cyclist travelling up a short steep hill had their chain buckle, causing their foot to slip. Falling forward, they went over their handlebars, sustaining a deep cut to the right side of their forehead, stiffness to their right hip, pain to their right hand and grazing to their right shoulder.

• In January a car driver overtook a cyclist on Broomfield Hill. The cyclist chased after the driver near the Broomfield Hill car park and hit their wing mirror and possibly the bonnet. The cyclist turned to ride off and the motorist hit the cyclist's rear wheel causing the rider to fall – no injury sustained.

Traffic offences and relevant breaches of park regulations were as follows:

Trade vehicles – 231

Unauthorised parking/unattended – 88

Driving not on a road - 33

Speed – 81

Off-track cycling – 2

Contravening signs (including closed roads) – 15

Cycling to endanger any person – 0

Driving a vehicle to endanger any person – 6

Driving without due care – 0

Using a mobile while driving – 1

No valid license – 1

No insurance – 8

No cycle lights after dark – 1

Faulty vehicle lights – 0

No MOT - 1

This Quarter’s Priorities 

As suggested by the police team, this quarter’s priorities over and above general policing are as follows:

1. Pedestrian Safety (Courtesy Crossings, Middle Road and gravel bikes on the Tamsin Trail)

2. Cycling safety (Beverly Brook obedience and motorist behaviour)

3. Wildlife protection (Deer protection, dogs around skylark fields)

GOOD MORNINGS

If you ride through the park on your morning commute or are able to enjoy a few laps before breakfast, you might notice that there will be slightly fewer cars around from next week.

Starting on Monday, Kingston Gate car park will be closed until 9am on weekdays to prevent drivers parking up and continuing their journey to work by public transport or on foot. The car park has filled up in the morning for many years as it is free as well as being relatively close to Norbiton station, Kingston town centre and the local hospital, so the later opening should discourage some commuters from using the park as a convenient spot to leave their cars. Weekend parking will be unaffected, and Blue Badge holders can use all the other car parks.

We are not typically in the park every weekday morning, so please let us know if you detect a difference. Our thanks to park manager Paul Richards for instituting this much-needed change.

DOGGED PURSUIT OF JUSTICE

Two contrasting stories concerning dogs off leads. The day after the Safer Parks Police Panel, a man was due to appear before Wimbledon Magistrates on the charge of “allowing a dog to chase, worry or injure another animal”. His pet had attacked a deer in December, and after an appeal, members of the public were able to identify him from video filmed at the scene which was distributed by the media.

Meanwhile, news reached us that a member of Richmond Park Rouleurs suffered a broken arm last month after a dog, which was not on a lead, ran out into the road and collided with her. The owner was apologetic and got an ear-bashing from onlookers, but that was it. As the victim’s priority was to get to hospital, she did not take the dog owner’s details.

The second incident is far more typical than the first, yet they often go unreported, which makes it less likely that the police can recognise the scale of the problem and focus on it. So if you are brought down by an errant hound while riding, call 101 to report the incident, no matter how scant the details, or dial 999 if the injury is serious. Obtain the dog owner’s details for any insurance claim.

Remember: any failure to control a dog could be an offence under three sections of the park’s regulations. One – Section 3(5) – would apply if an officer asks the person with the animal to place it on a lead; the other two state that a visitor to the park should not “intentionally or recklessly interfere with the safety, comfort or convenience of any person” (Section 3 (1)) or “cause or permit any animal or bird of which he is in charge to chase, worry, or injure any other animal or bird” (Section 4 (21)).

GETTING TO THE PARK

Richmond Council is starting a new consultation on its Transport Strategy, which you can look at here. If you ride to or from Richmond Park through the borough, please take a moment to look at their map here and tell them which parts of the route you’d like improved, or indeed which parts you really like. 

PLANE CRAZY

The Government’s backing for a third runway at Heathrow airport has revived concerns about the environmental impact more flights would cause – but as we first pointed out way back in  August 2019, it is the proposed redesign of the flight paths that will have a big and more immediate impact on the peace and tranquility of Richmond Park, regardless of whether or not planes get more tarmac.

Noisy departing aircraft which currently skirt the park may soon fly directly overhead, as Heathrow stealthily pushes ahead with its long-running project to use technology that will enable take-offs and landings on the same runway and in both directions from both runways.  This will enable Heathrow Airport to increase its number of flights as well as re-routing noisy departures over the park, all without the third runway.

To keep abreast of Heathrow Airport's proposals, and to learn how to object, sign up to the Friends of Richmond Park's regular bulletins here. 

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

RPC Bulletin #85, February 2025

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in February 2025. 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… +++ Deer cull back again – and it starts TONIGHT +++ Seen suspected bike-jackers? Report them! +++ Three park-related offences to be added to Road Traffic Offenders Act +++ Where and when – tell us about your group rides +++ 

Visit our sponsors: Visit our sponsors: Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Forge 1860,  Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Richmond Cycles, Richmond Park Rouleurs, Sigma Sports

BACK WITH A BANG

It doesn’t seem that long since the final deer cull of 2024 ended – and now the faint, distant sound of gunshot is about to drift through the nighttime air around Richmond Park once more.

Throughout the next seven weeks, starting from TONIGHT, the gates close at 8pm and reopen at 7.30am – which means, for your own safety, you will not be able to ride your bike in the park during those times. 

The usual rules apply. If you arrive shortly before closing time, please do not enter unless you are absolutely certain you can easily reach your exit before 8pm – otherwise you may find yourself temporarily locked in. Similarly, in the morning, you may find your chosen entrance open before 7.30am – but your exit could still be closed when you get to it. For more details, see our website.

MAKE THAT CALL

There has been another wave of bike-jackings near Regent’s Park – and although no similar crimes have taken place in Richmond Park recently, we have received disturbing reports of suspicious groups riding high-powered e-bikes, some of them with bladed weapons visible. 

One rider tells us they often seem to be present between Roehampton Gate, where they enter the park, and Kingston Gate. Meanwhile, on the Tamsin Trail, a female cyclist was targeted two weeks ago by three balaclava-clad youths, one on a souped-up e-bike and another on a moped, who scattered after she flagged down a female stranger, pretending that she was a friend (an effective tactic should you find yourself in this situation).

Despite much discussion among cyclists on social media, the police tell us no one has informed them directly of any sightings or incidents – which is why we would urge you to file a report if you have witnessed or experienced anything they should know about.

• To report an incident or anything suspicious, call 101. 

• You can also fill in a report online here (this link is also in the bio of our Instagram, Twitter and Facebook).

• We have permission to give the mobile number of the park’s police unit to group leaders of clubs who ride regularly in the park. Get in touch if you feel it would be useful (although please note officers are not able to answer calls if they are already dealing with an incident).

• If you are in danger, call 999.

The police recommend that, if you are being followed, you should go to a heavily populated area, such as one of the cafes in the park – and in the event of a confrontation, hand over your bike to the thieves rather than risk serious injury or worse.

The last sustained spate of violent bike thefts took place almost four years ago, and the roads in Richmond Park are generally far safer than those outside it. Nevertheless, if you do see anything suspicious, please contact the police – it is the only way to escalate patrols.

DUE COURSES

The Home Office has announced proposed legislation for a raft of cycling offences which will be dealt with by fines or courses – three of which apply specifically to the Royal Parks. They are:

• Failure to comply with any direction given by a constable or by a notice exhibited by order of the Secretary of State regarding the use of a pedal cycle in a Royal Park or other specified land.                                                 

• Using a pedal cycle in [a] manner that endangers or is likely to endanger any person in a Royal Park or other specified land.       

• Using a vehicle or pedal cycle between sunset and sunrise, or in seriously reduced visibility between sunrise and sunset, with no lights in a Royal Park or other specified land.

You can read the full list by clicking here and scrolling down.

The above additions to the Road Traffic Offenders Act are already covered by our Safer Riding Guide, so we welcome the move to deal with the small minority who persist in riding discourteously or unsafely. But all three aspects are also covered by the park regulations, so it would seem the police are now being given the option to use fines or courses as a punishment instead of dishing out warnings or pursuing matters through the courts. We will consult with Sgt Pete Sturgess from the park’s police unit to find out more.

There is also the matter of how the offences would be policed, given that Sgt Sturgess’s team is under threat due to the Met having to find money to plug a £450million funding gap. The unit could be cut to half its size or disbanded, in which case its officers would be deployed elsewhere and responsibility for the park given to local wards. 

We value our good relations with the park’s police, the knowledge base that they have built up over the years aided by their low turnover of staff, and the hard work they have put in to keep the park safe. We are very concerned about how well Richmond Park will be policed without a dedicated command unit but will work with whoever is in charge of policing in the future. A decision is due within weeks. 

GROUP WORK

Our ongoing but slow-moving discussions with The Royal Parks regarding changes to its cycling policy and a proposed 20mph limit for cyclists has meant that a few projects fell by the wayside. One of them was putting information about group rides in the park on our website – but we’re back on the case.

If you run a regular ride in the park, please send us the details, stating when you meet and where, and if you have a group for beginners, along with a link to all the relevant information. We aim to get the list up by the end of the month.

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

RPC Bulletin #84, January 2025

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in January 2025. 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… +++ Happy New Year! +++ Parks’ police target for cuts +++

Visit our sponsors: Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Pearson Cycles, Richmond Cycles, Richmond Park Rouleurs, Sigma Sports

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We’re officially on a break over the festive period, so this is a much shorter monthly newsletter than usual – but we couldn’t begin 2025 without thanking all our subscribers for your support in 2024. There wouldn’t be a Richmond Park Cyclists without you. Our thanks also to park manager Paul Richards, the park’s police and The Royal Parks for their help and engagement with us.

At some point in the next few weeks we will meet again with Director of Parks Darren Share to continue discussions concerning The Royal Parks’ plan to revamp its cycling policy and establish a code of conduct for cyclists. Our aim is to better reflect a realistic approach to regulating cyclists’ speeds and behaviour, while also prioritising the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. Hopefully we will have news to share when this bulletin resumes normal service at the start of February.

UNIT COST

We also hope to have more information by the end of the month on the significant changes to the policing of Richmond Park. The Met has to plug a £450million funding gap, and one of the targets for cuts is the team that patrols the Royal Parks, which The Standard reports could have its resources “slashed”. There is also speculation elsewhere that the unit could be scrapped entirely, with the local force taking over responsibilities for Richmond and Bushy parks.

In an email sent to us and the other members of the Safer Parks Police Panel, the unit’s Inspector Nick McLaughlin said discussions regarding funding are ongoing and no officers will be made redundant. We are likely to learn more when we meet with his sergeant, Pete Sturgess, for our regular quarterly catch-up this month, and at the next Safer Parks meeting towards the end of February.

Sgt Sturgess and his team do a great job catching speeding motorists, stopping drivers of unauthorised trade vehicles and policing many other misdemeanours which can have an impact on the enjoyment of cycling in the park. When we have asked him to prioritise certain offences, such as drivers entering the car-free areas of the roadway during the Movement Strategy trials, he has always been happy to oblige. And the park’s officers are generally fair when it comes to dealing with inconsiderate cycling. There is no guarantee as yet that the local force could be as effective and as focused on the park, as it will, naturally, have to continue policing the surrounding boroughs as well. So we would prefer continuity rather than change, especially as we have built up a good relationship with Sgt Pete over the years. Nevertheless, we are ready to work with whichever police body is responsible for keeping the park safe for cyclists and every other visitor in the future.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

Thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox over the past year, 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

RPC Bulletin #83, December 2024

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in December 2024. 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… +++ Our response to newspaper’s overblown claims about cycling in Richmond Park +++ The Royal Parks draft new cycling policy and code of conduct +++ Follow us on Bluesky

Visit our sponsors: BellaVelo, Cycle Exchange, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Pearson Cycles, Richmond Cycles, Sigma Sports

FAULTY TELE

The Daily Telegraph – which previously breached the Editors’ Code with a laughably untrue claim that ordinary cyclists are riding faster on UK roads than Olympic track champions – has now published more overblown worries about cycling in Richmond Park and The Royal Parks’ other green spaces. 

Using the Freedom of Information Act, it obtained specific data from TRP which only lists incidents involving cyclists colliding with pedestrians or other cyclists, or (in one instance) damaging a car during an altercation. A map accompanying the report identified just six such cases in Richmond Park over the past four years – exceptionally few in relation to the hundreds of thousands of miles cycled on its roadway annually – and, of course, there are none of the alarming incidents involving motorists that the police continually record in their official statistics, which we detail in full every three months in this bulletin. 

Some things are best left to wither behind a paywall. But if you really want to see the newspaper’s report for yourself, we have liberated most of it here.

A day after the Telegraph’s report appeared, one of its columnists took up the cudgels, and we submitted this response, which was published last Sunday:

SIR – Simon Heffer says that it’s time to “get tough on the scourge of rogue cyclists” (Comment, November 17). As a campaigner, and someone who cycles around London virtually every day, I’ve seen people cycling in all sorts of ways in our city. I’m also in Richmond Park nearly every day. Cyclists aren’t angels, but they’re no less law abiding than anyone else in this country.

Mr Heffer’s essential argument seems to be one that has been rejected by government after government, in the UK and abroad: that somehow, if we made everyone on a bicycle have a specific licence and register their vehicle, then the world would be a safer place. Yet drivers, with their licences, tests, MOTs, and insurance, don’t seem to be persuaded of this, killing more people in a day than cyclists kill in a year.

The law should absolutely be enforced, and used to prevent road violence, but the changes Mr Heffer proposes would make no difference to safety on our roads and pavements, and instead would reduce the number of people cycling, to the detriment of all.

Tim Lennon

Richmond Cycling Campaign and Richmond Park Cyclists

London SW14

SPEED DRAFTING

It was, as many of you are aware, the selective coverage of the pedestrian fatality in Regent’s Park by the Telegraph and other papers that led to The Royal Parks deciding to review its cycling policy and establish a code of conduct for cyclists across its estate. Following our initial meetings with Darren Share, TRP’s Director of Parks, we now have drafts of both documents and have suggested changes after reviewing the wording with our friends from Regent’s Park Cyclists and the London Cycling Campaign. Our aim is to better reflect a realistic approach to regulating cyclists’ speeds and behaviour in the Royal Parks, while also prioritising the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. We will meet with Darren again in December and look forward to continuing our discussions with him.

Following news in our last bulletin that TRP has written to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, we have received indications from more than one source at a high level that TRP’s proposal to have a specific 20mph speed limit for cyclists across the Royal Parks will be difficult to pursue, given the priorities of the Government. This will undoubtedly be another topic of discussion with Darren.

BLUE START

Have you flown to Bluesky yet? We will still be posting on Twitter for the foreseeable future, but with many users fleeing, our posts have also started to appear on its rival service. You can follow us on @richmondpkcyclists.bsky.social.

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