Legal Challenge to Hampton Court Charges

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 14th Jul 2003

One of the residents and amenity groups currently involved in consultation over charges to use up to 75% of Hampton Court Palace gardens - the Hampton Court Road Environmental Committee - has obtained the legal opinion of a senior barrister suggesting that the pathways involved are "dedicated at common law as public rights of way".

MP Vincent Cable has welcomed the residents initiative and expressed the hope that "good sense will prevail at the Palace and that this thoroughly bad idea - entrance charges - will be dropped. It is clear that restrictions on public access are wholly contrary to the spirit of the agreement under which the Monarch opened them to the public in the 19th century."

"The cost of installing turnstiles and administering charges will absorb a substantial part of the revenue. Surely it makes more sense for

the Palace to look for other sources of income generation like the excellent scheme, already agreed, to create an open air ice rink in the palace grounds."

Contacts: Vincent Cable Colin White 8977 5198