The nine Royal Parks have a common set of regulations which set out what visitors should and shouldn't do. The following is a layman' summary of the main regulations, as they affect Richmond Park.
Under Park regulations it is an offence to:
- Interfere with a plant or fungus
- Climb or interfere with a tree
- Fish or take birds' eggs
- Worry or injure an animal or bird
- Feed or touch a deer
- Drop or leave litter
- Permit a dog to foul
- Fail to keep a dog under control or (where required) on a lead
- Permit a dog to chase, worry or injure a deer or other animal
- Cycle or roller skate except on designated paths
- Ride, drive or cycle dangerously
- Ride, drive or cycle at night without lights
- Drive above the 20 mph speed limit
- Park outside the car parks
- Play games or sport, fly a kite or model aircraft except in designated areas
- Carry on a trade
- Bathe in a pond
The full regulations are contained in The Royal Parks and Other Open Spaces Regulations 1997, available online at www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1997/19971639.htm. The 2004 amendments can be viewed at www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2004/20041308.htm .
New £50 fines: From July 2012, the police are able to issue £50 Penalty Notices for the following offences, which are all breaches of Park regulations;
• Littering
• Cycling outside designated cycling areas
• Failing to clear up after a dog
The new police powers are the same as those already available to police officers in other parks and public spaces across London,
On The Road: The Metropolitan Police, Park management and the Friends have recently produced a leaflet called "On The Road" covering Park regulations and 'rules of the road' for users of the roads in Richmond Park. You can download it below or get a paper copy at the Visitor Centre.