The pathway between Pen Ponds in Richmond Park will be closed for essential works from August to October 2021.
Pen Ponds are categorised as reservoirs by the Environment Agency and are subject to annual independent engineer inspections. The engineer’s recommendations are mandatory, and following the latest inspections we're responding to the need to protect the dams from collapse in the face of exceptional periods of rainfall – which are predicted to increase in the future as a consequence of climate change.
The solution is to create a solid crest along the length of the dam tops in place of the existing level pins and to raise the height of the dams by around 8cm, to increase the capacity of the reservoirs in the case of heavy rainfall. At the end of the project the dams will look much as they do at present, albeit marginally higher.
We will also be working to re-establish vegetation on the dam faces which have been eroded by public footfall and to re-instate marginal planting where it protects the dams. We will also carry out some minor path improvements. The project is expected to take around 8 weeks. In the meantime we apologise for the disruption during the works and the inconvenience of temporary path diversions.
