Latest News
Garden Gates
Updated 10 August 2020
Some users are currently experiencing issues with using the key fobs on a number of the garden gates. We are aware of the issue and are working to get this fixed with urgency. If you are experiencing an issues, please email us on info@cepc.org.uk with your fob serial number (this can be found on the back of the fob), the name your subscription is in and the best contact number for yourself. We will be in contact with those affected as soon as we have these fixed.
We would like to express our apologies for the inconvenience caused and hope to have this rectified shortly.
The CEPC Gardens are back open
Updated 29 July 2020
Park Square and Park Crescent gardens are now back open for all garden users to continue to enjoy. We would like to thank you for your patience whilst we dealt with the dangerous tree and apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Park Square and Park Crescent gardens are temporarily closed
Updated 27 July 2020
Park Square and Park Crescent gardens are temporarily closed to all garden users as a safety precaution whilst the area is made safe from a fallen tree limb. With the safety of our garden users being paramount and the tree overlooking part of the garden path, we have had to take this temporary step to ensure safety can be upheld.
The CEPC would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused and are working hard to ensure the gardens can be opened as soon as possible.
Crown Estate Paving Commission Statement in reposnse to request for comment on the Royal Parks Movement strategy including calls for gate closure changes
Updated 16 July 2020
The CEPC is supportive of The Royal Parks Movement Principles in general; we are however concerned that appropriate attention is paid to the individual needs of Regent’s Park where our statutory responsibility is for the management and maintenance of the roadways and ornamental gardens.
We are working with The Royal Parks to develop an appropriate traffic management plan that we hope will address the needs of the residents who live in and around Regent’s Park and the organisations that are situated there, as well as those who visit the park on foot, cycling or in their vehicles. Such a plan should, in line with the Movement Principles, be with a view to enhancing the pedestrian experience and safety; reducing the speed of all traffic, cycling and vehicular; and ensuring that the heritage and landscape identity of the park as a whole is protected.
Any initiative needs of course to take into account the impact of additional traffic on roads near to the park and the environmental impact on residents, schools and businesses in the area as a whole. We therefore will also need to work with the local authorities, Westminster and Camden, to reach a consensus prior to any formal phase of consultation with relevant parties on changes involving the CEPC.
Re-opening of toilet facilities in Park Square and Park Crescent.
Updated 1 July 2020
The CEPC are pleased to announce that we are re-opening our toilet facilities in Park Square and Park Crescent on a revised basis.
We are aiming for the CEPC toilet facilities to be open for use as follows:
Park Crescent 07:30 – 13:00
Park Square 13:00 – 18:00
The reason for this format of opening is to spread the use and ensure that clean facilities are provided at 07:30 and 13:00 daily. Because of the ongoing situation, it may be necessary to shut them on safety grounds at no notice. If this happens we apologise for the disruption.
We have implemented measures to reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus, detailed here.
Thank you in advance for following these measures.
Important requirement in respect of the use of gates to the CEPC’s gardens.
Updated 11 June 2020
If you are a corporation or rent out your property, please pass this important message on to any occupiers of your property with the use of the CEPC’s gardens.
Further to recent communications from the CEPC, we have recently completed a risk assessment and introduced relevant mitigation measures to reduce the risk of coronavirus COVID19 spread on the CEPC’s estate.
The implementation of several measures has allowed a number of further colleagues to return to site work in a phased way. It also highlighted some risks which affect garden users. There is one in particular to which we wish to draw your attention and to which we ask you give appropriate thought and action.
The latest guidance is that regular touch points, such as gates, should be avoided if possible and consideration given to increased cleaning. The CEPC’s private gardens are all in the open air. Several are gated. We do not consider it appropriate to leave open gates, nor are we able to reasonably fund staff on the gates at relevant times nor a service where users phone for access/egress. We have decided to clean daily the most used gate locks and part of the gates used for opening/closing at the Park Square and Park Crescent gardens. The relevant parts of gates in the CEPC’s other gardens may be cleaned as and when we have the ability, but please note that ability is limited and irregular. We have considered closing the gardens, but feel, on balance, that keeping them open is a significant physical and mental health benefit to those with access if appropriate mitigation measures are followed.
We take this opportunity to point out measures that users (and staff who will also be briefed) must take to minimise the risk of infection/transmission. Please avoid touching any part of the gates. We suggest this be done by wearing disposable gloves and/or using a piece of clothing between your hand(s) and the part of the gate used. Any items used to touch the gate should then be bagged and disposed/cleaned according to the latest guidance, after which hands should be cleaned with sanitiser. Users of the gardens will need to provide these items themselves. If you do touch any part of the gate by accident or by choice, the most effective way to reduce the risk of catching and/or spreading the virus is to wash hands immediately afterwards and not to touch your face. Users of the gardens who do touch the gates will need to follow this procedure and to provide their own hand sanitiser to clean themselves. Users of gated gardens will therefore need to bring hand sanitiser if contemplating using the CEPC’s gated gardens. We do not think it practical to supply and monitor items such as hand sanitiser and gloves at relevant entrances. We can not guarantee the quality or supply of such items, nor the availability of staff to monitor and replenish them in the present circumstances. Hence the requirement that users will need to bring such items themselves if they wish to use the gated gardens.
We feel that these measures and required behaviours will minimise the risk. However, it is important to understand that there will still be a risk of infection and/or transmission of coronavirus COVID19 from using the CEPC’s gates (and indeed the gardens) which can not be eliminated. All users should consider whether they wish to take that risk when deciding to use the CEPC’s gardens. Anyone who does choose to use the gardens, does so at their own risk to the fullest extent possible in law.
A further issue which has been highlighted to the CEPC in recent weeks is the current closure of the toilets in Park Square and Park Crescent. We apologise for the inconvenience of this measure. We are giving ongoing consideration to re-opening the toilets and will make an announcement on this as soon as we can. In the meantime we request that you go home to use the toilet.
Thank you for your attention.
Important Garden Notice
Updated 1 June 2020
Residents, Ratepayers and Garden Subscribers
The CEPC recognise its gardens are a vital resource for the mental and physical well-being of residents/garden subscribers. Whilst we hope soon to return to more normal staffing levels on site currently we are operating with lower than usual staff numbers. This is a relevant issue in the number of gardeners on site.
Some of the previously implemented additional CEPC garden restrictions have now been relaxed.
There has been a marked increase in the numbers using the gardens, in particular at Park Square and Park Crescent. Along with that there unfortunately has been some issues identified by the CEPC and raised to the CEPC relating to the behaviour of some people whilst they are using the gardens.
To assist, residents/garden subscribers using the gardens are reminded that they are required to comply with the below.
- Observe Government guidelines of 2 metre social distancing
- Respect others using the gardens
- Gatherings are only permitted in the gardens of no more than 6 people. This includes children
- All normal garden regulations apply, see https://www.cepc.org.uk/gardens/garden-regulations/
- Any large gatherings/events are not currently acceptable
- Do not leave items in the gardens. Please take your rubbish home
- Do not let in non-residents or non-subscribers to the gardens
- For safety reasons the children’s play area, toilets, picnic benches and deckchair shed remain out of usePlease respect CEPC staff managing these spaces including following any instructions from them
Should you require any assistance whilst in the gardens please contact the CEPC Security team on 07774 938 715.
