Anti-Car Park Charges Rally in Richmond Park

After a brisk walk across Richmond Park feeling slightly worse for wear , I came across the sight of 4 empty police cars. Looking across to Pembroke Lodge Car Park it was completely full which explained why the traffic on the road had come to a stand still. A crowd of people, some with dogs, stood opposite the Cafe on the grass waiting patiently for the Rally to beginning.

First there was an announcement for a lost brown terrier. Which luckily someone had located and returned to her rightful owner immediately.

Then after another 10 minute wait Radio Jackie got the show on the road. The first speaker was Zac Goldsmith, the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Richmond Park. He again repeated the points that are well known of why people where opposed to the charges. He was followed by Justine Greening, the Tory MP for Putney.

Justine Greening made it clear that Margaret Hodge was not interested in what the local residents thought, and had repeated refused both hers and Susan Kramer's requests to meet local residents. As far as Margaret Hodge was concerned people who lived in the area surrounding Richmond Park and Bushy Park could afford the Car Park Charges. Ms Greening pointed out that Hodge represented Barking and she had no intention of introducing car park charges in the Park there, to which someone in the crowd yelled that “She [Hodge] was Barking mad”.

Then it was the Liberal Democrats turn. Susan Kramer, MP for Richmond Park, explained that the next step was to make sure that there was a debate about the Statutory Instrument in Parliament in the summer so it couldn't simply be rubber stamped through, and that as many local people as possible should attend. She was followed by Vince Cable, the MP for Twickenham , who reiterated the well known points of why people where against the charges.

The final speaker was the Chairman of the Keep Bushy Park Free Alliance, Pieter Morpurgo. He made the most sense as he pointed out that visitors had donated £7.2 million towards renovating Bushy Park and wouldn't have done so if they were going to be charged for using the car parks. And that 96% of the traffic used Bushy Park as a short cut so implementing the charges would penalise the 4% who actually used the Park for what it was intended. Sunday was the day the Park was most used yet at the North Side of the Park there are no buses at all which means it is impractical for those with pushchairs and sports equipment to use public transport to get to the park.

Zac Goldsmith then thanked everyone for coming and the people who helped him organise it including Radio Jackie. Finally the Radio Jackie DJ tried to get people to shout one slogan to use on the 11am news bulletin but due to the crowd containing a mixture of people who used one or both Royal Parks people shouted “Keep the Parks Free”, “Keep the Royal Parks Free”, “Keep the Bushy Park Free”, “Keep Richmond Park Free” and “Keep Bushy and Richmond Park Free”. The crowd of nearly 2000 people then started to disperse.

More photos can be seen in the Gallery here: http://tinyurl.com/yhrqsrj

Thanks to the Keep Bushy Park Free Alliance for the correction.

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