BROMPTON CEMETERY BUSHY PARK The Royal Parks is an Executive Agency of the Department for Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS). THE GREEN PARK Presented to the House of Commons pursuant to section 7 of The Government Resources & Accounts Act 2000. Ordered by GREENWICH PARK the House of Commons to be printed on the 19th July 2006. HYDE PARK KENSINGTON GARDENS THE REGENT’S PARK WITH PRIMROSE HILL RICHMOND PARK ST JAMES’S PARK Chief Executive’s foreword 2 Management structure 3 THE ROYAL Managing our environment 4 PARKS ANNUAL Getting people involved 7 Encouraging sport 10 REPORT AND Protecting our wildlife 13 ACCOUNTS Enhancing the visitor experience 16 2005-06 Looking after our heritage 19 Working behind the scenes 22 Performance against key targets 24 Quality targets 25 The year ahead 26 Accounts 27 HC1411 London:The Stationery Office Ltd £13.50 THE ROYAL PARKS ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 05-06 Chief Executive’s foreword Management structure MILLIONS OF PEOPLE VISIT LONDON’S ROYAL THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR CULTURE, PARKS FOR FREE EVERY YEAR.THEY DO SO FOR MEDIA AND SPORT IS THE MINISTER DIVERSE REASONS – TO EXPERIENCE THE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ROYAL PARKS, WILDLIFE,TO SOAK UP THE HISTORY,TO ALTHOUGH SOME RESPONSIBILITIES HAVE PARTICIPATE IN SPORT,TO ATTEND ONE OF BEEN DELEGATED TO THE MINISTER FOR THE MANY EVENTS WE HOST, OR SIMPLY TO CULTURE.THE SECRETARY OF STATE SIT BACK AND ENJOY THE BEAUTIFUL DETERMINES POLICY OBJECTIVES, FINANCIAL NATURAL SURROUNDINGS.WHATEVER FRAMEWORK AND ALLOCATION OF REASON PEOPLE VISIT,WE WANT THEM TO GET FINANCIAL RESOURCES, INCLUDING KEY THE MOST FROM THEIR EXPERIENCE – AND TARGETS AND ALSO APPROVES THE WE WORK HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FRAMEWORK DOCUMENT, CORPORATE AND ROYAL PARKS ARE WONDERFUL PLACES TO BUSINESS PLANS FOR THE ROYAL PARKS. COME TO,AGAIN AND AGAIN. When I arrived, in May 2005, we were Our new corporate plan will build on The Permanent Secretary is Accounting Officer for the part way through the final year of our these achievements, and sets challenging Department and has designated the Chief Executive as two year Corporate Plan.That plan set targets for the coming three years. It also Accounting Officer for the agency. out the agency’s purpose as: seeks to put The Royal Parks at the centre of London and all the “to balance our responsibility to protect, communities and visitors we serve, by THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE THE MINISTERIAL ADVISORY BOARD conserve and enhance the unique better understanding their needs and The Chief Executive is responsible for operational and strategic The Advisory Board provides independent advice to the landscapes, environments, heritage and ensuring continued relevance of these management of The Royal Parks and is directly accountable to Secretary of State, Culture Minister and Chief Executive of vistas of the eight Royal Parks in London wonderful landscapes. the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and the The Royal Parks on the agency’s strategic direction, plans and with active and creative policies to Permanent Secretary for performance against key targets and performance.The Advisory Board has no line or executive encourage wide access to them and We are in huge debt of thanks to the financial management of the agency. responsibilities. Members are appointed by the Secretary of increase opportunities for enjoyment, Royal Parks Foundation who continue State and drawn from outside the Department. delight, sanctuary, information, education, their dedicated involvement in raising creativity and healthy recreation for funds for the Parks and our volunteers THE MANAGEMENT BOARD everyone, now and in the future.” who give endless hours of invaluable The Management Board meets monthly to consider and THE MEMBERS OF THE ADVISORY BOARD ARE: support to gardening, education and take decisions on the Parks’ strategy and planning, finance, Peter B Ellwood CBE, Chairman Chairman ICI And it has helped us to deliver a number visitor services. performance, structure and organisation, resources, of significant achievements – education The Hon Apurv Bagri Group Managing Director, risk management, health and safety issues, personnel and and community engagement up from With clear evidence of the value that Metdist Ltd general management. around 12,000 participants to 23,000 green space can contribute to mental and participants; self generated income up physical wellbeing and as the reality of Professor Sir Peter Crance FRS Director, Royal Botanic from £6.5m to £7.2m; and two of our climate change impacts us all, I believe Gardens, Kew The Executive Directors of the Management Board are: Parks gaining Green Flag status. that our Parks will have an increasingly Emir Feisal FCMA Head of Finance, important role to play in the years ahead. Mark Camley, Chief Executive The Sunday Times We need to be ready for that challenge. Simon Betts, Director of Estates Yvla French Executive Director, Jo Brigham, Director of Strategy and Marketing The Campaign for Museums Colin Buttery, Director of Parks and Deputy CE and Marketing Greg McErlean, Director of Major Projects Communications Consultant Anne Moore, Director of Resources and Business Planning Attendance also includes: Mark Camley The Royal Parks MARK CAMLEY The Non Executive Directors of the Management Board are: Dr Ingrid Samuel Department for Culture Media Chief Executive,The Royal Parks The Hon. Apurv Bagri and Sport Andrew Fenwick 3 ‘AS A LOCAL RESIDENT, THE ROYAL PARKS ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 05-06 THE WOODLAND GARDENS IN BUSHY PARK HAVE BEEN PART OF OUR FAMILY LIFE FOR 30 YEARS’ RESTORING THE BAROQUE We work to manage and enhance the Managing our historic landscapes of the Royal Parks, so AVENUES AT GREENWICH that as many people as possible can enjoy We began the programme to restore the environment them for many years to come. Keeping Park’s original Baroque Avenues six years 5,000 acres of urban parkland stocked ago.These date back to the 17th Century, during the reign of Charles II, and were THERE ARE EIGHT ROYAL PARKS: BUSHY with healthy trees and plants is no small task.We have our own nurseries and a inspired by the designs of Andre le Notre PARK,THE GREEN PARK, GREENWICH dedicated team who work hard to (gardener to Louis XIV) who created the PARK, HYDE PARK, KENSINGTON maintain, enhance and protect the Parks’ famous gardens at the Palace of Versailles. GARDENS,THE REGENT’S PARK WITH many horticultural delights. As part of this programme we have now PRIMROSE HILL, RICHMOND PARK AND planted 560 new trees, mainly horse This year we recruited a Landscape chestnut, sweet chestnut and lime. ST JAMES’S PARK.THE ROYAL PARKS IS Architect to add to the specialist skills of RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING THESE our in-house team and awarded new MORE PLANTING AT KENSINGTON SPACES AND CONSERVING THEM FOR contracts for the landscape maintenance AND ST JAMES’S FUTURE GENERATIONS TO ENJOY.WE of the Parks for the next five years. We increased the number of trees in We also commissioned a number of ALSO TEND A NUMBER OF OTHER Kensington Gardens this year too, planting landscape consultants who have provided GREEN SPACES IN LONDON, birch, field maple and larch.These were us with exciting new designs for planting chosen specifically for their beautiful INCLUDING BROMPTON CEMETERY,THE areas, tree stations, entrances and car autumn leaf colour and will strengthen GARDENS OF 10,11 AND 12 DOWNING parks, as well as looking at landscape our autumnal theme in years to come. STREET,VICTORIA TOWER GARDENS strategies in both Greenwich Park and We also planted 2,000 square metres of AND GROSVENOR SQUARE GARDENS. Kensington Gardens. new ornamental trees, shrubs and hardy The parks have been home to a perennials at Marlborough Gate.While in spectacular variety of trees for many St James’s, in addition to the usual and centuries and provide enjoyment for much admired array of glorious bedding, many visitors; whether to examine the we planted the ‘Field of Gold’ comprising species, wonder at the majesty or sit of 40,000 February Gold daffodils, as a quietly in their shade. Richmond Park is symbol for Marie Curie Cancer Care. a leading UK site for ancient trees, particularly oaks, which have great historic DEVELOPMENTS AT RICHMOND and ecological importance. Managing our 150 new trees were planted in Richmond trees and plants, from planting to old age, Park, including a small number of native is one of our principal tasks and this year Elms grown from cuttings.The elm was a we carried out an extensive planting very popular species in the Parks up until programme. Our collection of the 1970s when Dutch elm disease ornamental trees, shrubs and flower destroyed many.We are hoping to gardens is well loved by our visitors re-establish disease resistant elms in (whether with two, four or more legs!) Richmond.The cuttings we took last year and we have continued to lovingly from the black poplar trees have also nurture and enhance these. taken root, and we will be looking to plant these in our other Parks, as well as more widely, as part of our ongoing efforts to protect what is now one of Britain’s rarest native trees. CHRISSIE, BUSHY PARK VOLUNTEER 5 6 ‘MY FAVOURITE THING WAS LOOKING AT THE INSECTS,AND WE SAW GREEN FLAGS AWARDED TO LOADS OF NEWTS’ Our veteran tree management this year has concentrated on the safety of the TWO PARKS Park’s 1,200 veteran trees, which include Given our efforts to protect and enhance an 800-year old oak and rare hawthorn the natural environment of the Parks, and black poplar trees. we are pleased that both Greenwich and Regent’s