Car Parking Charges at Gunnersbury

If you wish to park at Gunnersbury for under 30 minutes you will need to register your car on the App or via the car parking machines. You will need to do this promptly on arrival to Gunnersbury to avoid any accidental fines. If you do not register your car you will be liable for a fine.

If using the App we advise visitors to untick for the parking confirmed/expiry reminder (accessed via your Account - Notifications) as not doing this will result in a charge of 10p per notification.

If you plan on staying for longer than 30 minutes you will need to pay the car parking charges.

If you have only stayed for the 30 minutes of free parking you will be unable to register for another free half hour in the car park for 2 hours. The 2 hours will start from when you leave the car park.

The 50p an hour rate was an introductory rate for the first six months only. The decision to increase the charges comes as, like many charitable organisations, Gunnersbury is facing a significant increase in running costs.

The running cost for Gunnersbury Park & Museum is in excess of £2.3m this financial year 2022/23, and these costs are rising.

We receive a management fee from Ealing and Hounslow councils to run the Gunnersbury Estate which incorporates  72 hectares of parkland and a number of historical buildings including the museum, the bath house, the orangery and the temple. This management fee currently covers 27% of our costs. We further have a backlog of repairs and maintenance issues which the CIC inherited when taking over the management of the estate, which are not included in these figures.

The majority of our income comes from commercial income, including our outdoor events programme and venue hires. It is crucial that we utilise all income streams to continue keeping the park and museum well-maintained, safe and free to access all year round.

100% of net income from the car park will be spent on maintaining the park and the museum.

In May 2022 when we introduced car parking charges, we committed to a target of £80,000 from car parking fees to spend on essential park maintenance.

Following visitor feedback on the need for path repairs, particularly in the south of the park, we will be identifying and repairing £80,000 worth in 2023/24.  The most up-to-date estimate to repair pathways (obtained Spring 2022) costed repairs at £180 per linear metre of pathway.

This will be phase one of a multi-phase project as we will need to secure significant levels of additional funding beyond this to complete the project. 

We operate the estate under a lease from Ealing and Hounslow councils. We receive a combined management fee of £655,000 a year from the councils which is on a decreasing scale, meaning we have to generate additional income from other streams to make up for this shortfall. 

The car parking charges were approved by the CIC’s Board which includes representatives from Ealing and Hounslow councils.  

The income we received from our outdoor events and venue hire in 2022 covered 33% of our running cost. It is crucial that we utilise all income streams to continue keeping the park and museum well-maintained, safe and free to access all year round.

We have partnered with Gemini Parking Solutions who specialise in car parking management. They regularly patrol the car parks and also ensure that the mechanisms for paying for parking are in working order.

Car parking charges apply at all times, including bank holidays.

All vehicles take up space in the car park and create wear and tear. Therefore we will not be differentiating between visitors. 

All visitors can enjoy the first 30 minutes for free.

We are committed to operating as sustainably as possible and encourage visitors to use green transport options where possible.

There are several public transport stops in close proximity to the park, notably Acton Town tube station, Kew Bridge railway station and various bus stops for routes E3 and H91. We also provide bicycle racks for cyclists.

The main car park uses an ANPR camera. An operator works in the disabled car park.

All vehicles that are not authorised or not parked in accordance with the site regulations for this site will be issued with a parking charge notice

If you park at Gunnersbury and contravene the indicated parking restrictions you are agreeing to pay a parking charge to the sum of £100 discounted to £60 if paid within 14 days.

If this parking charge remains unpaid vehicle keeper details may be requested from the DVLA and you will incur additional costs as a result of action taken against you.

We know that some visitors park on nearby streets, particularly during our events.

Prior to our events we strongly encourage visitors to use public transport and not to drive to Gunnersbury. On event days we have traffic management plans and marshalling in place which are under constant review. We work closely with the councils, the police and the event organisers to ensure a safe and well ordered environment.

The pay machines accept cards or you can pay via the RingGo app (from January 2023). Cash machines are more susceptible to vandalism and the cost of replacing them would take away from funds that could be put back in the maintenance of the park and the museum. 

The museum, shop and donations are also cashless.

Please note that your car is parked at your own risk. The CIC will not accept any responsibility for loss or damage to your car or its contents.