§ We manage the Royal Parks principally for the public to enjoy quiet recreation in the open air. We do provide some services and facilities to enhance that enjoyment—for example, refreshments and recreation facilities. Most have been provided in the parks for a long time and many of them, such as the horse-riding tracks, have historical origins. Some, such as the golf and tennis school in Regent's Park and the golf courses in Regent's Park, were donated by past monarchs.
§ We are frequently asked to provide additional facilities for a variety of activities and we try to accommodate those we can provided that the activity is appropriate to the parks, the facility will not damage the visual or physical integrity of the park landscape, and the activity will not interfere with the enjoyment of other park users.
§ A number of lodges and other buildings have been erected in the Royal Parks over the years and the majority are used for the management and maintenance of the parks. Others were erected to provide amenities to park users, such as the restaurant at the Dell in Hyde Park and the Cakehouse in St. James's Park. There is now a presumption against any further buildings in the Royal Parks, as recommended in the Review of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, chaired by Dame Jennifer Jenkins.