RULES & REGULATIONS
NEVERN SQUARE GARDEN
SUMMARY OF RULES FOR GARDEN MEMBERS
When you receive a garden fob you become an authorized keyholder of Nevern Square Garden. Please remember that it is a privilege to have access to a private garden square in the centre of London. In order that all garden members, young and old, may enjoy using the garden please respect the Garden Rules and be considerate towards others.
If you are in need of any help or have any question, please don’t hesitate to approach our committee members: they regularly enjoy the garden and can easily be identified by their Nevern Square Garden lanyards.
1. Keys
The garden key fob is for the personal use of you, the leaseholder or long-term tenant of a levy-paying address, or subscriber, and your family members, and must not be lent to anyone else - including short term holiday lets / rentals (Airbnb or similar etc.) The key fob must be returned to WBM when you move away (and your key deposit will be reimbursed), and you should be able to show the fob if requested by WBM or a member of the Garden Committee whilst in the garden.
Never leave the gates open. They should shut automatically but if for any reason they are not shutting properly please shut them manually.
If you invite guests into the garden you are responsible for their behaviour. If someone asks you to let them into the garden, claiming to be a keyholder, do not admit them unless you are sure that this is true.
2. General rules
Garden users, and especially their children, must not pick flowers, walk on the flower beds, climb on the trees, or damage the lawn. They must not damage the garden furniture or use it for purposes for which it is not intended (e.g. PT exercises).
No ball games are allowed. These include football, rounders, cricket, golf or anything involving moving balls, including children’s ball games. This is to avoid disturbing other garden users or harming the plants (when a ball goes into a flower bed people often damage the plants in the process of retrieving it). Games involving other kinds of flying objects -- such as frisbees, boomerangs, model aeroplanes, drones or arrows -- are not allowed.
Please only use a maximum of ONE table per keyholder for yourself and your guests (even if hosting a party) and do not drag the picnic tables if you would like to move any of them as this damages the lawn.
Musical instruments and audio equipment which produces audible noise are not allowed. Noisy conduct likely to disturb other people should be avoided.
Putting down food for birds, squirrels or foxes is not allowed.
Take your litter home with you. There are no litter bins in the garden because they tend to attract foxes.
Any personal property left in the garden will be removed and disposed of.
Riding bicycles, skate boards and roller skates or blades is not allowed. You may bring in prams, pushchairs, wheelchairs and infants' tricycles and mini-bikes.
Barbecues, fires and fireworks are not allowed.
The square should be vacated at night-time.
3. Children
Children under the age of ten years must be supervised all the time by a responsible adult. After sunset children under the age of thirteen years must be accompanied by an adult.
Children must not be allowed to play with the watering equipment.
Children must not be allowed to use the Garden as a lavatory.
Children must not be allowed to put gravel or sand on the grass, leaving the gardeners with the task of removing it.
The bucket swing is intended for small children only. Older children who cannot fit inside it should be using the normal swing.
Children love to let off steam, especially when they come out of school; please try to keep the noise level within reasonable limits. Adults who come to sit quietly in the garden do not appreciate screaming children.
Parents must replace the sandpit cover after use; if you leave it open the sand may be fouled by dogs or foxes.
Children should not walk or jump on the sandpit cover; this tends to rip the eyeholes used to hold it down.
If your child is taken into the garden by a childminder please make sure that this person is familiar with these rules.
If you invite children from other families please limit your guests to not more than four children and two adults.
4. Parties
If you are planning to organize a party or an outdoor meal involving 15 or more people you must inform WBM, and receive their permission, at least two weeks beforehand. This enables us to avoid too many people all having parties at the same time.
Parties involving more than 25 people are not allowed. This ensures that the garden can be enjoyed by a majority of key holders at all times.
Do not "reserve" a picnic table hours before you are going to use it.
Do not block the garden gates open for your guests.
Try to keep the noise level within reasonable limits (n.b. no music)
Leave the picnic tables clean and pick up any cigarette ends, bottle caps, corks or food remains which have ended upon the grass.
All parties – and the clear up – should be finished by night-time.
5. Dogs
A limited number of registered dogs are allowed in the garden. In order to bring your dog into the garden you must obtain permission from WBM and satisfy certain criteria as regards vaccination and your ability to control the dog. There is an admission fee of £150 for new dogs and an annual subscription of £50 which goes towards paying for the dog bin to be emptied.
If anyone asks to see your dog’s garden tag (which proves that your dog is registered), please be prepared to show it to them.
Dogs are not permitted in the garden during the period of 1 May through 30 September between the hours of 2pm and 6pm. The purpose of this restriction is to ensure that children and older residents can enjoy the garden undisturbed.
6. Sanctions
Failure to abide by the Garden Rules may result in the disactivation of your garden fob, for several months or permanently.
March 2024