Landscape Maintenance at the Royal Parks lot1, lot 2 and lot 3

Hyde Park is famous for its world-class events. It is the largest Royal Park in central London, there are many activities in this park, sporting, boating, relaxing in deck chairs, events such as Winter Wonderland and British Summer Time Concerts. Hyde Park has a fascinating and colourful past to discover. Hyde Park is also home to a rose garden, the Dell garden, extensive shrubberies and new for 2026, an Autumn Flower Garden. In addition, there is boating on the Serpentine. Hyde Park attracts a high number of local users, as well as international visitors 7 days a week throughout the year. It is open to traffic, cyclists, horses, and pedestrians from 5:00am and closes at midnight. All routine maintenance operations (except Duty 000200 Litter & Refuse (Scavenging)) and the use of machinery are normally avoided on Saturday afternoons, Sundays, and Public Holidays.

Key Considerations

Hyde Park opens daily to visitors from 05:00 and closes at midnight throughout the year. It is a major attraction for local visitors and tourists alike, with around 20 million visits a year.

The park should always be in the condition that visitors expect of a Royal Park.

All routine maintenance operations (except Litter & Refuse [Scavenging], snow and ice duties and watering) and the use of machinery in busy areas, are avoided at weekend and Public Holidays.

Daily scavenging should be carried out to Grade A standard by 8.00am every day.

Daily playground inspections must be completed and recorded by 09.30hrs every day.

Daily cleaning and opening at 10am of the Diana, Princess of Wales Fountain is required. As is the provision of competent stewards during the summer months.

Providing suitable staff to manage and support reactive responses to emergency situations in the park. These occur infrequently but could include weather related events e.g. high winds, snow & ice, and flooding etc, or incidents and accidents.

Regular military horse movement takes place in the park, these include daily exercise rides, gun salutes and various mounted troop movements. Assistance will be required in setting up for these and tidying up afterwards.

Hyde Park hosts major events every year, as well as regular small events. Major scheduled events include the British Summer Time Concerts and Winter Wonderland, as well as this sometimes-short notice events of national importance can take place, recent examples include the screening of international football, The Queen's Jubilee and Funeral. The requirement from the LM contractor to assist with these events will vary but will always be required.

Kensington Gardens opens daily to visitors from 06:00 and closes at dusk throughout the year between 16:30 (earliest time in winter) and 21:45 (latest time in summer).

Kensington Gardens is a major attraction for local visitors and tourists alike and has high levels of use, especially during the spring and summer, particularly during the evenings and at weekends. All routine maintenance operations (except Litter & Refuse [Scavenging], snow and ice duties and watering) and the use of machinery, are normally avoided on Saturday afternoons, Sundays, and Public Holidays. However, the LM Contractor may be instructed to carry out certain routine operations early in the morning to minimise disruption at these times. These operations may include, but not be limited to, grass cutting, activities associated with events, work in playgrounds and irrigation.

When in the vicinity of any park lodges, noisy working will not take place before 08:00 each day, unless in an emergency.

The busy nature of Kensington Gardens makes it impossible to plan all work in advance. Some instructions are likely to be given within a few days of the work needing to be done, and in a few cases an immediate response to an instruction will be required. To support effective communication, it is necessary for the LM Contractor to have in place an effective communication processes including the use of mobile phones and instant messaging mobile platforms.

Kensington Gardens is designated as a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation in local planning policy on the basis of the habitats and wildlife it supports, with particular reference to birds including songbirds, waterfowl, mature trees and meadows.

Key considerations

Kensington Gardens opens daily to visitors from 06:00 and closes at dusk throughout the year and is a major attraction for local visitors and tourists alike seeing incredibly high levels of public use, especially during the spring and summer, particularly during the evenings and at weekends.

All routine maintenance operations (except Litter & Refuse [Scavenging], snow and ice duties and watering) and the use of machinery, are normally avoided on Saturday afternoons, Sundays, and Public Holidays.

Daily scavenging as detailed in the Waste Management (Scavenge) section of this document and the appended plan should be carried out to Grade A COPLAR standard by 8.00am.

Commitment to effectively manage separate dual litter collections of mixed recyclables and general waste leading to a 53% clean co-mingled recycling rate by the end of the contract.

Operation and management of the Kensington Gardens Leaf Yard in line with the Leaf Yard Management Duties set out in the contract and appended Leaf Yard Composting Management Plan.

Implementing effective daily inspections and maintenance duties at playgrounds by 9.30am each day, alongside providing competent seasonal playground staff who are fully conversant with the Playground Operational Plan at the highly desirable and much visited Diana, Princess of Wales’ Memorial Playground.

Being suitably effective to deliver and support proactive and reactive responses in emergency situations that may occur in the park including weather related events e.g. high winds, snow & ice, and flooding etc, or incidents and accidents leading to personal injury.

St James’s Park and The Green Park attract visitors 7 days a week from dawn to dusk throughout the year. These parks do not close at night and many people may use the parks after dark, especially in summer.

Victoria Tower Gardens closes at dusk. Two small, grassed, areas of Parliament Square also fall under the management of St James’s Park: Canning Green and Poet’s Corner.

There will be instructions to carry out certain operations early in the morning when the Park is quiet. These operations may include some grass cutting and cleansing activities, some Litter & Refuse (Scavenging) Duties, pesticides application, activities associated with events, work in the play area, and irrigation.

Routine maintenance operations (except 000200 Site Litter & Waste Management (Scavenging & Bin Emptying)) are not normally permitted on Saturday afternoons, Sundays and Public Holidays and during summer evenings when the Park is at its busiest. Exceptions may also include irrigation using a tractor & bowser.

There is a requirement to carry out a substantial number of tasks at specified times (for various operational and security reasons). One example is road sweeping which is to be completed by 09:00 am.

Key Considerations

Changing of the Guard - Vehicular access and egress into St James’s Park is restricted weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 10.30hrs - 12.00hrs and Sunday 0900 – 11.00hrs.

Daily scavenging as detailed in the Waste Management (Scavenge) section of this document and the appended plan should be carried out to Grade A COPLAR standard by 8.00am.

Daily playground inspections as detailed in Children’s Play Areas must be completed by 09.30hrs

Please note that St James’s and The Green Park are subject to high visitor numbers and remain open 24 hours a day, 7 days per week 365 days a year and this must be taken into consideration when dealing with the waste management plan for St James’s and The Green Park.

Due to high number of ceremonials that take place in St James’s Park the month of May sees a particularly high number of mid-week rehearsals which closes park roads and affects vehicle movements and some park operations.

Implement and remove weekend road closures, as well as deploying other temporary signage. Road re-opening times will change during the year according to dusk.