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Police close Pembroke Lodge car park as Richmond Park rally draws huge crowd

Hundreds of campaigners today braved the cold by gathering in Richmond Park to protest against parking charges.

Hundreds gather for Richmond Park rally Hundreds gather for Richmond Park rally

The demonstration sent a clear message to Culture Minister Margaret Hodge, as the crowd shouted in unison: "Keep our parks free."

The huge turnout forced police officers to close off a packed Pembroke Lodge car park - meaning many passionate protestors had to find alternative parking and walk to join the rally.

Stewards claimed the turnout could have been close to 1,000.

Hundreds gather for Richmond Park rally Hundreds gather for Richmond Park rally

Although campaigners were told by officials on arrival that they were not allowed to wave banners or placards, many ignored the request.

It was a clear sign of defiance against the Government's decision to allow Royal Parks to charge up to £1 an hour to park in Richmond and Bushy parks.

Politicians addressed the masses in front of a giant banner, on which demonstrators signed their names in support of the protest. It is to be taken to Downing Street at a later date to drum home the message that the charges are not popular.

Rally organiser and parliamentary candidate for Richmond Park, Zac Goldsmith, said: "I think the parking chaos that we have caused here today is just a fraction of what is to come.

"There are so many people here today - and there are still more coming. It proves what an incredible misjudgement the parks’ authority has made.

"Richmond Park, and Bushy Park as well, is an oasis in this capital. The one thing that will change that is the presence of parking wardens."

Richmond Park MP Susan Kramer and Putney MP Justine Greening said they had met Margaret Hodge on more than one occasion to press home the case for not introducing charges in the parks.

Ms Kramer said: “She is a person who seems to know the price of everything and the value of nothing.”

She said she found it “absolutely appalling” that people could be charged to come and relax and enjoy the park.

And she added that she and Twickenham MP Vince Cable would use every power they had to get the charges overturned and urged people to write to Ms Hodge opposing the charges.

Dr Cable, whose constituency includes Bushy Park, was critical of the Royal Parks describing it is an "arrogant unelected quango". He said: "It is not just that it is breaching a principle but it completely rejected any practical alternatives.

“They took absolutely no notice of people’s views.”

“This battle is not over.”

He said the parking charges could still be stopped because they did not yet have parliamentary approval and because opposition parties were “absolutely committed to repealing this”.

He added: “If you keep up the pressure and we keep up the pressure this ridiculous measure can be stopped.”

• Were you at the rally? Let us know by emailing imason@london.newsquest.co.uk, phone the newsdesk on 020 8744 4262 or leave a comment below.


Comments (25)

30/01/10

Sanity99 says...

Hopefully, the fact that some of the protesters actually got off their backsides and walked to the park shows that they don't actually have a problem after all!

30/01/10

nanette says...

I agree - but for some of us, we have to drive to the park to walk or cycle around it - especially with young children. Richmond has been a haven to our family and we have visited it regularly for over 25 years. Best birthday parties and picnics ever, have been enjoyed there. Without a car park this would not be possible.

30/01/10

MeganN says...

Instead of a parking charge in the parks, why not charge a road toll to drive in or through? This would bring in more revenue, as a huge volume of traffic use the parks as a short cut. That money could then be spent on better adventure play equipment, guided nature trails and the suchlike. It would also mean that once in, you could stay as long as you like without incurring greater charges and may possibly mean less people choose to drive through. Wasn't it bliss in the snow when they were forced to close most of the road round Richmond Park?!

30/01/10

Julie Hill says...

I guess sanity99 doesn't have children, or a dog, or a car and is fit and young enough to peddle everywhere. Perhaps he/she should try to be a little more charitable and spare a thought for others who do actually care about the environment and their well being too?

The rally was a great success, good speeches from Vince Cable, Susan Kramer, Justine Greening, Zac Goldsmith and Pieter Murporgo, (The Friends of Bushy Park), who also highlighted the poor public transport options in Teddington, with only one bus an hour at weekends.

As Nanette and so many others have said, there are numerous reasons why so many people HAVE to drive to the parks and the huge number of DOGS at the Rally bears this out.

KEEP OUR PARKS FREE !

30/01/10

jeremyhm says...

We arrived early enough at Pembroke Lodge to be able to park, but we were approached by a Police woman who said that the police had advised people to park at other car parks in the Park and walk across to the demonstration. When we pointed out that this would be difficult for elderly people and families with small children and dogs, it seemed that it had never occurred to her that it might be a problem. This is the root of the problem, People have simply not thought the whole thing through. Our parks are going to end up as a playground for the rich if this scheme is allowed to go ahead.

30/01/10

Sanity99 says...

The park is a mile across. Fifteen minutes and you can be anywhere. Disability is catered for. Anyone else doesn't even need a cr park. Walk your dogs and children TO the park, if it is your nearest one. Nothing is free. The carparks are an unsightly mess of dogs and their waste, ice cream vans and cars. Some people can't even find a nice place without spotting a car park sign to guide them.
The only good thing about the car parks is that the peasants stay near them to avoid getting lost.

31/01/10

marie33 says...

Nanette, what do you mean, without a carpark?? No-one has said anything about closing the carparks! What people are moaning about is being asked to pay a couple of pounds to park inside the park......which incidentally is much less then it costs to get there by public transport!

31/01/10

twoquid says...

marie33 wrote:
Nanette, what do you mean, without a carpark?? No-one has said anything about closing the carparks! What people are moaning about is being asked to pay a couple of pounds to park inside the park......which incidentally is much less then it costs to get there by public transport!
Agreed. We bring our dogs here daily and until today's rally, were sad about proposed charges, but not entirely surprised. It is London, it's big, it's beautiful and it needs upkeep.

Today's crowd was truly nothing more than normal Saturday attendance on a beautiful day in Richmond Park with the exception of these two political leaders, staff, a good handful of their supporters each, and the media they drummed up for this opportunistic event.

The whole affair has changed my view and I will be writing to Margaret Hodge with a new suggestion:

Keep Richmond Park Free of political demonstrations, politicians and media! If you must charge for this, we understand. It's worth a few pounds to all of us. And if you struggle with those charges, I suggest public transport, walking or cycling to the park, or simply holding off on your £2 coffees and refreshments which overflow from the bins every day.

Let's keep out the riff-raff and make Richmond Park free of these useless, self serving politicians. Hold your drum banging protests at the gate, we don't want you.

31/01/10

TheParkie says...

Concerns were expressed about the choice of location within the park but Pembroke Lodge was kept for reasons to which I am not privy but may have something to do with the speed wiith which the politicos disappeared afterwards. There didn't seem to be a 'meet the people' element. It had been speculated that a "spontaneous" mass march to Holly Lodge was on the cards but this didn't happen. The meeting was fairly short - by the time I had gotten up there the last speaker was denouncing Margaret Hodge and the Barking Park scenario. According to reports there were about 600-800 there, some traffic disruption (but not much!), people from Bushy Park much in evidence, those from Richmond Park hardly at all. Good to see the Bushy Park banners out - again nothing from Richmond. The morning was glorious: the weather was no excuse for not attending.----------
--------------------
-------------- I spoke to some Richmond people. The consensus was that it had not been well-publicised on the ground. There should have been well over 1000 attending to make the point. Internet/media exposure etc is all very well but it only gets you so far. ZG would have done well to have leafletted homes, quite possible even at only a month's notice. He has spent too much time of late soliciting media coverage at high-profile events and needs to meet... ordinary people . He may be surrounded by PR people more intent on building their own careers. He should take advice from local people, not 'Tory boys'. Equally, Susan Kramer has been too inconspicuous of late. That said, some of those attending were merely concerned about parking in their streets adjoining the park. There was complete unanimity on the prospect of the proposed charges going up by the time the car parks were actually renovated. Others felt that hearing rich Richmond folk pleading the poverty of others to avoid paying for parking was 'a sight to behold' if that isn't a contradiction in terms! Major philanthropic donations woud be very good but launching a public subscription would democratise it. It was pointed out that the "residual value" of the cars in a typical RP car park (when full) was £2-3 million i.e. it could be more than the cost of repairing all the car parks in BOTH parks. Local visitors are major stakeholders in the park: sometimes stakeholders - like shareholders - have to assert themselves by putting their hands in their pockets. And there were indeed a huge number of dogs. I saw a river of dog flowing from Sheen Gate car park up towards Pembroke Lodge.

31/01/10

Yaffle1 says...

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the proposal, this is just the thin end of a wedge that will see charges ratchet up as the years go on. I remember when you could get into Kew Gardens by putting one old penny in the turnstile (1970) - now it is £13!!

31/01/10

TheParkie says...

Previous articles and comments

4882107.Hundreds_gat
her_for_Richmond_Par
k_rally/

(http://tinyurl.com/
yj5vwwp)


4870857.Tories_to_re
view_parking_charges
/

(http://tinyurl.com/
yznxexp)


4866121.Parking_char
ges__likely_to_rise_
/

(http://tinyurl.com/
yj9kqu8)

4862163.Fuury_over__
____3m_cost____of_un
welcome_car_park_cha
rges/
(http://tinyurl.com/
yjdaww6)



4854739.Opponents_wi
ll_battle_new_Richmo
nd_Park_parking_char
ges/ (http://tinyurl.com/
yhwdo5l)


4854547._We_will_fig
ht_on___Park_rally_t
o_go_ahead/

(http://tinyurl.com/
ygdu3e4)


4854514.Park_goers_g
ive_their_verdict_on
_parking_charges/

(http://tinyurl.com/
ylsahoc)


4853670.UPDATED__Min
ister_gives_green_li
ght_for_parking_char
ges_at_Richmond_and_
Bushy_parks/

(http://tinyurl.com/
yhyyryy)


4853234.Minister_to_
_give_go_ahead_for_p
arking_charges_/

(http://tinyurl.com/
yfrp724)


4848011.Parks_bosses
__confident_of_go_ah
ead__for_charges/

(http://tinyurl.com/
yfeysk2)

4836288.Calls_for_pa
rking_charges_protes
t_to_be__non_politic
al_/

(http://tinyurl.com/
yfez97h)


4817227.Parking_prot
esters_to_hold_mass_
rally/

(http://tinyurl.com/
yjyqmko)

4812575.Minister_poi
sed_to_agree_Richmon
d_Park_charges/

(http://tinyurl.com/
yf9qeoo)

31/01/10

alex twickenham says...

What a bizarre post from "TheParkie". Rather reminiscent of posts from another of your correspondents, Chris Squire who routinely bombards us with endless and tedious links to LibDem propaganda. Perhaps Parkie would like to add a little text to explain his/her most recent post?

I thought it was good to see Councillor Trigg, our traffic supremo appearing prominently at the rally in a photo captured by a fellow protester, sadly, all is not what it seems. Trigg claims to be in opposition to the charging scheme, yet he or the senior council officer who wrote his token protest letter to the Royal Parks Authority on Feb 18th last year used these words:
"You will I am sure be aware that the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames has led the way in linking CPZ charges to the CO2 emission of the vehicle. If charges are to be introduced then we would encourage The Royal Parks, as an environmentally conscious organisation, to adopt a similar approach and base their charges on the emission of the vehicle." Does that sound like wholehearted support for the protesters or is he some sort of fifth columnist hell bent on furthering his own cause?

It gets worse, his letter goes on to say: "...we are more than happy to meet with you to share information on how this could be done in the Royal Parks"!
As if thats not bad enough, he wrote to an opposition Councillor and residents categorically stating: "... I have never offered to assist them". Really Councillor? Explain the difference please.
With "friends" like this purporting to be part of our protest whilst toeing the Council party line, what chance do we have?
Alex

31/01/10

LilacHamster says...

Personally I would rather the Parks get their revenue from imposing parking charges (or a toll for driving through) than from killing the deer and selling the venison, if indeed they need the money. If they insist on this charge, I hope they will see less of a need for the money from sales of venison, but they have to get money from somewhere!
I am very angry that another person (not me) who was planning to organise a motorcade for the deer was refused permission for it! Why should this anti-parking charges protest be allowed, while the one for the deer who are about to be culled was not allowed? The right to protest only seems to apply to those who meet the approval of certain people such as Zac Goldsmith.
People who care about the deer should also have an equal right to be heard!
The cull is just about to start so this weekend should have been more about the deer and their rights than about the whims of the drivers!!

01/02/10

TheParkie says...

I don't think the park make much profit on their deer and they simply hope that it covers the cost of supplementary feed in bad weather. Even at Bushy Park this can cost over £10,000 per year.

What I find difficult to understand is that no attempt has been made to raise the money locally either through philanthropic donations or by the more democratic public subscription. Given that the cost per head of avoiding the introduction of parking charges is a one-off £25 per elector in the Richmond Park constituency it seems something of a no-brainer to me given that that represents a handful of visits even at the current promotional proposed rates as opposed for paying ever-increasing amounts until the end of time. To put a perspective on things: every household is paying a precept of £20 per year towards the 2012 Olympics. How much free parking do you get for that?

Sadly my earlier post fell foul of the formatting in this section.

01/02/10

LilacHamster says...

Actually TheParkie, they admitted it themselves in a meeting that they make £29,000 a year from the deer killing, venison must sell for a lot of money. I would not know much about the price of meat being a vegan myself, but I was shocked. A shame I did not tape the conversation, but it's obviously not a secret, or they would not tell an anti-cull campaigner this.

01/02/10

Nayhead says...

I would prefer to pay a parking fee than for the parks to recoup that money than for them to get it from the killing of voles and selling their skins to the fur industry. It's a discrace !!!

01/02/10

jane40travel says...

Rather than penalising the people who spend time walking, cycling, picnicing etc. in Richmond Park, I believe the ideal way to raise revenue is to have a charge that would target the car drivers who use the park as a short cut between main roads. Given the number of cars that do this every day they must cause a lot of damage to the roads. (Inicidentally they also tend to the drivers who have scant regard for the 20mph speed limit.)

The way to do this is to have a ticketing system where all drivers take a ticket with the time on it when they enter the park and give it up on leaving the park and are charge if they spend less than, say, 30 minutes, in the park.

01/02/10

TheParkie says...

Tolls are expensive to run and slow down traffic at peak times.Then there are all the problems associated with collecting small amounts of cash from people with no dosh on them especially if you're going to do it on exit. I don't see Zac Goldsmith voting for one at Ham Gate (though I could be wrong!)
In theory the traffic problem could be resolved by shutting Kingston Gate. This would cause bona fide visitors to drive a few miles extra but would remove most of the through traffic at a stroke. But it doesn't pay for the car parks...

01/02/10

Sanity99 says...

The deer herds in both parks need a regular cull to maintain the health of the herds. It makes sense to sell the venison commercially. The Bushy Park manager lead an excellent walk last year, explaining the whole concept.

02/02/10

LilacHamster says...

Ah yes, the Bushy Park manager, Ray Brodie, who according to a friend of mine was practically salivating as he spoke about the venison on a walk she was on - she was disgusted - she did not want to hear about how tasty and cheap the venison was, she was there to learn about deer life and behaviour, etc.
Oh yes, I have heard ALL about his "deer walks" and how he uses them to actively encourage the eating of the deer.
Studies from the USA have shown that culling actually increases birth rates in deer, but if left without a cull they self-regulate according to the space and resources available, as any other wild animal population does.

02/02/10

LilacHamster says...

Zac G must be confused, he is always claiming to be green, so should he not be supporting measures that actively discourage excessive car use, and especially in our green spaces?
Oh no, sorry I almost forgot, it's nearing election time and therefore as a politician he will support what appears to be popular and will win him more votes! Who knows what he will do if voted in if he cannot even be consistent about such matters as care for the environment? Of course he is not confused, he knows exactly what he is doing, but not all of us are so easily fooled.. and what kind of an environmentalist supports fox-hunting anyway?? Answer: Zac Goldsmith.
This is nothing but a cynical ploy on his part to catch votes, does anyone really believe any different?

03/02/10

bandit63 says...

I'm sorry Lilac but a study in the US of deer that have a much bigger area to forage etc. has no relevance to a relatively small enclosed space. Other studies have shown that if you don't control the dominat animals in an enclosed area, then the other wildlife, vegetation etc. suffers. Remember that Bushy Park was originally set up as a "safe" hunting ground for royality at Hampton Court and has been this way for centuries. If the park becomes overpopulated, deer could eventually start wondering out into the surrounding areas. Also, because they are in an enclosed space, then inbreeding becomes an issue, with all the horrible genetic disorders that causes. It's a fact of life, not very nice I know, but controlled culling by professional people, is probably the best way of keeping the problems in control.
I'm a big supporter of animal welfare, but am sensible and realise that sometimes not very nice things have to be done for the greater good of the rest

03/02/10

bandit63 says...

I agree - all the politicans in the area are jumping on the bandwagon to get votes. Once they are in, they will relaise what a mess we are in and will be encourgaing government departments and local councils to raise money however they can. Charging to park in Royal parks, allow councils to bleed motorists dry will be examples of this

04/02/10

Phillip Taylor says...

This last comment by Bandit is totally cynical and does everyone involved a dis-service. It is not a matter of vote grubbing...it is a matter of principle and, therefore, it would not matter whether the elections are on or not.

Just for the record, it was a political decision by Ms Hodge which started this off so get at her and not the locals.

You have to start somewhere and that is exactly what Zac and the Tories have done. There is complete silience from Labour round here as they are equally ashamed of this silly decision. The Liberals will never be in power nationally so they don't count as you well know, Bandit.

Phillip Taylor

06/02/10

TheParkie says...

There is talk within the park that money raised from charging for parking has been earmarked for upgrading the horseriding facilities - not exactly the cheapest of most mainstream of activities and yet another attempt to get the lumpen proletariat to subsidise the recreational activities of the well-to-do.