A different perspective Annual Report and Accounts 03/04 Contents Chief Executive’s statement 03 Managing The Royal Parks 05 Hospitality 06 Diversity 10 Sustainability 12 Beauty 16 Respect 18 Performance against targets 20 The year ahead 26 Foreword to the accounts 28 Accounts 30 Bushy Park The Green Park Greenwich Park Hyde Park Kensington Gardens The Regent’s Park Richmond Park St James’s Park & Brompton Cemetery London’s personal space. Beautiful, invigorating and surprising, take a look at The Royal Parks from a different perspective. The Royal Parks offer 5,000 acres of carefully conserved green space in prime locations across the world’s greatest city. The Royal Parks Annual Report & Accounts 03/04 [ 01 A different perspective Annual Report and Accounts 03/04 The Royal Parks is an Executive Agency of the Department for Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS). Presented to the House of Commons pursuant to section 7 of The Government Resources & Accounts Act 2000. Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed on the twenty-first of July 2004. London:The Stationery Office Ltd. 901, £12 The Royal Parks Annual Report & Accounts 03/04 [ 02 With over 5,000 acres, millions of visitors from over 100 countries, 140 species of tree, 280 monuments and 100,000 roses – diversity is a part of life for The Royal Parks. Kensington Gardens contains some beautiful and significant memorials and statues, including the Albert Memorial, the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground, a beautiful bronze statue of Peter Pan, and the Elfin Oak, a tree trunk carved with all sorts of fairies and animals. The Royal Parks Annual Report & Accounts 03/04 [ 03 From the Chief Executive The Royal Parks are treasured and Another major area of improvement During the year we have continued valued by people from all walks of life. came with our radical upgrade of to involve our partners and stakeholders Above all, they are London’s personal catering in the Parks, especially with far more in our planning and to engage space.We are committed to listen to the opening of Inn The Park in St James’s in every way we can with the our users and visitors so that we can Park. During the year we achieved our communities we serve. Following ensure The Royal Parks are accessible targets for conservation and considerable consultation, we are about and relevant to everyone’s needs. management best practice with our to finalise our Events Strategy, which Whether for office workers seeking landscape, flowers and horticultural will establish a framework for handling some peace and tranquillity after a work and continued to promote a events of all sizes.The strategy has hectic day, families enjoying a picnic, very active and diverse ‘Wildlife for All’ received support from a broad athletes, joggers and walkers, children programme. In addition we were spectrum of stakeholders and will learning about the environment and successful in receiving support for the provide a benchmark for the future. London’s heritage, or for residents, project development phase of the This exercise has again demonstrated the Parks are wonderfully invigorating Bushy Park Restoration Project. the real benefits of consultation. and uplifting and a reminder of why Our new corporate plan contains a Of course the safety and well-being of London is such a great place to live. strategy for improving our relationship our visitors is paramount.We have been with all our key partners and As Chief Executive, I am custodian of able to move forward and plan for a stakeholders. the Parks for every visitor. So it is vital new policing partnership with the we know why people visit the Parks, Metropolitan Police. Co-policing began All of us at The Royal Parks are only what they want, and, crucially, whether in April 2004 and already an increased too aware that none of this would have they think we are meeting their police presence is evident. been achieved without the expertise expectations.With this in mind we have and commitment of the staff in the During 2003-4 we were delighted to instigated new visitor research to add to Parks, or the vital contribution made by launch the Royal Parks Foundation, our knowledge and find out more about our volunteers, contractors and and ‘went live’ with a new and exciting the reasons why some choose not to concessionaires.We are also very website showcasing the Parks and the use the Parks.We can then develop new fortunate to receive such great support services we offer.We’re well on the way programmes to help attract these from our Advisory Board, Foundation to providing fantastic new sports people with new facilities, new initiatives, Trustees and Friends groups, whose facilities in Regent’s Park and we built or whatever else may encourage them help and advice is so important to us. the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial to benefit from the great national Fountain in Hyde Park. It was again I have the pleasure of leading a great heritage that is The Royal Parks. very rewarding to see how many team and together we will continue to 2003/4 was a year of significant people joined in and how we were work hard to ensure that we all have achievement for The Royal Parks. able to continue adding new and Parks to be proud of. I think one of the most pleasing innovative community activities to aspects has been in the growth of our busy calendar. our education work.This has involved, in particular, trying to re-acquaint people, especially children and people from under-privileged areas, with nature. William Weston, Chief Executive. July 2004 The Royal Parks Annual Report & Accounts 03/04 [ 04 In managing The Royal Parks we always try to listen to Park users and provide them with the environment, events and facilities they want. For 2003/4, we adopted five Peter Ellwood CBE, Chairman The Royal Parks Advisory Board and Foundation. new corporate objectives: 1. To improve the quality and range of services for visitors to and users of the Parks 2. To protect, conserve and enhance the natural and historic environment of The Royal Parks 3. To develop policies and initiatives to encourage wider access by priority groups and explore how to bring non-users into the Parks 4. To raise the profile of The Royal Parks, increase understanding of the role and value of The Royal Parks to London and the nation, and consolidate our role nationally and internationally at the forefront of park management 5. To manage The Royal Parks efficiently and effectively, particularly by improving its financial base and developing partnerships across the public, private and voluntary sectors The Royal Parks Annual Report & Accounts 03/04 [ 05 Our vision is to try to achieve the perfect balance, where all understand and value the Parks, where everyone finds something in the Parks for them, and where no one’s enjoyment of the Parks is at the unacceptable expense of others, now or in the future. Chief Executive The Royal Parks Management Board William Weston Head of Major Director of Non-executive Director of Non-executive Director of Director of Projects and Policy and Chief Chief Officer of Director of member Parks and member Estates Public Affairs Initiatives Operating the RPC Resources Andrew Deputy CE Apurv Bagri Simon Betts Sara Lom Greg Officer Derek Pollock Sandra Smith Fenwick Mike Fitt McErlean Andy McLellan Managing The Royal Parks The Parks’ management has Advisory Board The Management Board 5 key principles, which drive Chairman The Management Board meets our activities: Peter Ellwood CBE, monthly to consider and take decisions • Hospitality Chairman ICI; Chairman,The Royal Parks on the Parks’ strategy and planning, • Diversity Advisory Board and The Royal Parks performance, structure and organisation, • Sustainability Foundation. resources, risk management, health • Beauty and safety issues, personnel and • Respect Members general management. We are indebted for the support The Hon. Apurv Bagri, Its membership comprises the Chief and commitment we receive from Group Managing Director, Metdist Ltd; Executive (Chair) with all executive our Advisory Board Chairman, Peter Trustee,The Royal Parks Foundation, Directors and two non-executive Ellwood, and our main stakeholders, Non-executive Director,The Royal Parks members drawn from the Advisory especially the members of the Advisory Management Board. Board and the Foundation.The Board’s Board,Trustees of The Royal Parks Audit Committee advises the Chief Foundation, DCMS,The Royal Sir Terry Farrell CBE, Executive as Accounting Officer on the Household, the individual Friends groups Architect and Town Planning Consultant; Parks’ arrangements for risk in each Park, all our partners such as member of Jenkins Review of The Royal management, internal control and The Holly Lodge Centre and Liberty Parks 1991-96. internal audit.The committee is chaired Drives, the Mayor of London and the Emir Feisal FCMA, by non-executive member Andrew GLA and all the Local Authorities with Head of Finance,The Sunday Times. Fenwick of Brunswick Group Ltd, who whom we work. is also a Trustee of The Royal Parks Ylva French, Foundation. Communications and Public The management structure Relations consultant. The Chief Executive has overall charge of The Royal Parks, reporting to the Minister for Media and Heritage and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Ministers and the Chief Executive are supported by an Advisory Board to provide independent advice on strategy, plans and performance and to help represent the interests of The Royal Parks. The Royal Parks Annual Report & Accounts 03/04 [ 06 The Royal Parks are open to the public all year - entirely free of charge. Hospitality – engaging with park users There are over 5,000 acres of parkland The Royal Parks are visitor focused.