Crown Estate Paving Commission

The Crown Estate Paving Commission (or CEPC) is the body responsible for managing certain aspects of the built environment of Regent's Park, London. It was established by statute in 1824. It fulfills local government functions, and is one of the few bodies in the United Kingdom (possibly the only one) still empowered to levy rates on residential property. Although it has government functions and tax-raising powers, its members are not elected but are appointed by the Lords of the Treasury.^[1]

It is a separate body from the Crown Estate, which holds the freehold of Regent's Park.

A Crown Estate Paving Commission owned Ford Fiesta

The Commission's responsibilities include maintaining street lighting and street furniture in the park, maintaining the roadways of certain streets immediately surrounding the park, regulating parking in those streets, collection of domestic refuse and opening and shutting the park gates. The Commission also maintains the terrace gardens adjacent to the public park. It also regulates requested modifications, such as pathways.^[2] The public park itself is managed by The Royal Parks.

The CEPC was established by statute in 1824, when it was given responsibility for care and maintenance of the Crown Estate from Whitehall along Regent Street to Regent's Park. Subsequent statutes extended its responsibilities to include the maintenance of Crown Estate properties in Westminster, but under the Crown Estate Paving Act 1851, the Commission lost responsibility for managing the Regent Street, Whitehall and Westminster properties.^[3] It has retained responsibility for the Waterloo gardens in Carlton House Terrace.^[4]

CEPC has statutory authority under the 1851 Act to collect rates from the occupiers of buildings in the streets which it manages^[2] numbering about 1200.^[2] The rates pay for matters which elsewhere are funded by Council Tax, but the occupiers are also liable to Council Tax without relief for the CEPC rates assessed on them.^[5]

The CEPC has enforced the 1851 act through court actions. In 1944, a Scottish MP was fined for failure to remove signs advertising a club.^[6]

The 2010 London Festival of Architecture sought permission from the CEPC to lay a new pathway in the park, as part of the construction of a London Las Ramblas, designed by noted British urban architect Sir Terry Farrell, after the original in Barcelona.^[2] CEPC commissioner Sir John Ritblat was also on the board of the festival.^[2]

References

1. ^ "Commissioners". CEPC.org.uk.
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} Bill, Peter (24 July 2009). "£200 billion of gloom- but it looks good for the vultures". London Evening Standard. (WebCitation).
3. ^ "Our History". CEPC.org.uk.
4. ^ "Constitution". CEPC.org.uk.
5. ^ "Press report". Financial Times. May 31, 2004.^{[dead link]}
6. ^ "Scottish M.P. Fined". The Glasgow Herald. August 10, 1944. p. 6. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BC81AAAAIBAJ&sjid=A6YLAAAAIBAJ&pg=3344,5376932&dq=crown-estate-paving-commission&hl=en. 

External links

• Official website
• Crown Estate page on the management of Regent's Park