No more through-traffic in The Regent's Park!

A third of London’s parks are seriously impacted by traffic noise and pollution

Parks for People is a relatively new group but one which is supported by CPRE London, the pedestrian campaign Living Streets, Ramblers, Mum for Lungs, Sustrans and many others. We believe through-traffic should be removed from parks to ensure they are peaceful places with clean air, free from traffic noise and road danger and oases for walking, cycling and recreation.

CPRE London’s 2018 research showed that one third of London’s parks are seriously impacted by noise and pollution from traffic. Those with roads running through them are particularly impacted but suffer the added menace of road danger.

The Regent’s Park, which is currently open to through-traffic, has for some time had a serious problem with traffic: the Outer Circle has higher levels of collisions than surrounding Camden main roads and illegal levels of pollution.

Unlike the other Royal Parks, the gates in Regent’s Park are controlled by an organisation called the Crown Estates Paving Commission (CEPC). We will therefore be gathering near to their offices outside the Park Square East park gates, on the Marylebone Road at 10am on 12 September (a short walk from any of Regent’s Park / Great Portland St / Warren St tube stations).

We are asking people to support this campaign by emailing the CEPC who control the gates in Regent’s Park. It will only take 2 minutes of your time! Suggested wording and contact details:

Send your email to info@cepc.org.uk and copy the Director Nick.Packard@cepc.org.uk

For the attention of Loretta Balfour, Chair, Crown Estates Paving Commission

Dear Ms Balfour,

Please close the gates and remove through-traffic from The Regent’s Park to make it safer and less polluted. I support Parks for People’s Close the Gates! campaign and wish to see through-traffic removed from the park.

During this pandemic, it has become clearer than ever how important parks are for people, not cars. But the Outer Circle has higher levels of collisions than surrounding Camden main roads and illegal levels of pollution.

The Royal Parks took a big step recently, promising measures to remove through-traffic from its iconic parks, and now I am writing to ask you to do the same in The Regent’s Park.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours etc

……………………………………………………………………………..

We would be grateful if you could let us know if you receive a response. Please forward to alice@cprelondon.org.uk