The Royal Parks welcomes cyclists back into Richmond Park at commuter times

 

Richmond Park is partially re-opening to cyclists from Tuesday 2 June, initially on weekdays only, before 10am and after 4pm. This follows the temporary cycling suspension, which was introduced at the end of March to support the Government’s social distancing guidelines, maintain public safety and prevent serious congestion at park gates. The Royal Parks will undertake a managed re-introduction of cycling back into Richmond Park to provide access for weekday commuters. This will allow The Royal Parks to monitor and measure the impact of the re-introduction and whether any further measures are required.

Key workers commuting to work will still be permitted to cycle through the park at any time during park opening hours. Children aged 12 and under will also still be able to cycle at any time and, from 2 June, their immediate family will also be permitted to cycle with them.

The park roads on the Eastern side of the park around Priory Lane and Broomfield Hill will be temporarily suspended to adult cyclists at all times, in order to maintain safety and provide a safe area for children and families to play.

A Royal Parks spokesperson, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming cyclists back to Richmond Park from Tuesday 2 June. We’ve been working hard to find a way to allow cyclists to return to the park that supports their safety and the safety of other park visitors. This interim measure will allow us to fully assess the impact of lifting restrictions, including whether any further safety measures are needed. By re-opening in a limited capacity, we will be able to accurately monitor the impact of the re-introduction of cyclists on the park, and on other park visitors, informing any future decisions around opening the park more widely to cyclists.

“We would like to thank everyone who has supported the temporary restrictions which have been in place during these unprecedented times, in order to enable the park to stay open for everyone who needs it. We would also like to thank all those cyclists, cycling groups and other park users who have given constructive feedback and suggestions on how to re-open the park safely.

“Richmond Park is an outstanding and well-loved place and a National Nature Reserve. We look forward to continuing discussions with our different visitor groups as we seek to improve the park experience for all our visitors and protect this beautiful and important park for all to enjoy”.

 

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