The Royal Parks to consult on permanent weekday road closure in Hyde Park
The Royal Parks charity is launching a six-week public consultation on whether South Carriage Drive in Hyde Park should be permanently closed to motor traffic on weekdays, in addition to existing weekend closures.
The consultation will run from 5 February to 17 March to gather the views of local residents, park visitors and any groups who may be affected.
It will be conducted through an online survey hosted on the Royal Parks website and through face-to-face surveys at key locations within Hyde Park. The survey will be shared through social media channels and with local community groups as well as alerting visitors through signage in the park.
An analysis of the results and the outcome will be published on the charity’s website, following the conclusion of the consultation.
Historically, South Carriage Drive has always been closed to traffic on Sundays. In 2020, The Royal Parks consulted on and trialled an extension of this closure to include Saturdays, as part of its commitment to reducing the volume of cut-through traffic in the park, improving the park experience for visitors and opening up new spaces for everyone to enjoy. However, at the same time, TfL introduced a new cycle lane on Park Lane that intersects with South Carriage Drive. To address safety concerns between cars and cyclists, the charity temporarily closed South Carriage Drive to all traffic, seven days a week. This closure has been in place for over three years.
The charity is now consulting on keeping South Carriage Drive permanently closed to motor traffic on weekdays as well as weekends, to ensure that pedestrians and cyclists experience a safe and welcoming entrance to the park every day.
Darren Share, Director of Parks at The Royal Parks, said:
“As custodians of Hyde Park, we have a duty of care to provide a safe space for all visitors.
“Following consultation on Saturday closures, we received significant feedback from consultees to request a permanent closure across all days of the week. Considering this, and the significant increase in cycle traffic now using the park, we felt it was only right to ask the community for their views.”
To take part in the consultation, please visit www.royalparks.org.uk/SouthCarriageDrive
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