After some safety concerns that resulted in the Memorial fountain being temporarily switched off the water for the "Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain" was returned on 12th August 2004, and the Memorial was re-opened to the public on 20th August 2004 by the managers of the Royal Parks. The Memorial was closed on 22nd July after three consecutive slippage incidents in a specific area of the Memorial, and on its reinstatement The Royal Parks press release states: Due to its popularity, public access to the site will be actively managed and people will be asked not to walk or run in the water of the Memorial. There will be additional staff on site to assist visitors, as well as clear signs setting out common sense "dos and don'ts". The design and construction teams were called in by The Royal Parks and asked for advice. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), who had given advice during the design stage and before the opening, was asked for its views. Using this expert input a report was drafted on possible new management systems and additional operational features. This report was discussed in detail with the Department for Culture, Media & Sport and the following decisions were made: - The water will be turned on from Thursday 12th August, so that visitors can see the Memorial in action prior to the full reopening on Friday 20th August. - A significant area (approximately a hectare or 10,000 m2) around the Memorial will be marked out by temporary fencing, with gates to allow management of numbers entering the site. This will have additional benefits for security, especially the safety of young children. - Visitors will be able to paddle their feet and dabble their hands in the water of the fountain but will be asked not to walk or run through the water. - There will be six dedicated staff supervising the site in summer and three in winter depending on need. The staff will all be trained in first aid and crowd management. - There will be clear signage explaining the management of the Memorial to the public. - There will be a period in late October or early November (subject to local authority planning processes) where planned maintenance work on the turf and Memorial itself will be completed. The timing is intended to minimise disruption to public enjoyment of the Memorial and also is the appropriate time for the landscape and horticultural work to be done. - All these measures, including the temporary fencing and visitor management systems, will be kept under a rolling review as visitor patterns change. Greg McErlean, Head of Major Projects for The Royal Parks and responsible for co-ordinating the report, said, "The key issue we faced was the sheer number of visitors. Two weeks ago we called in designers, engineers and health & safety experts. These discussions led everyone to conclude that we had to manage people's interaction with the Memorial so that people would sit on the side and dabble their hands and feet but not walk, or in some cases run, around in it. We want people to come and experience the Memorial safely and happily." Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport, said, "The Diana Memorial Fountain is as unique as it is beautiful. It has attracted thousands of visitors from around the globe, and while I am delighted with this extraordinary popularity, I also believe that it is at the root of the Memorial's recent teething problems. "Today's announcement is about a change in the way that the Memorial is managed. I am happy with the practical measures put forward by the Royal Parks in consultation with RoSPA and the designers, and I am delighted that the Memorial will soon re-open for everyone to enjoy as a special place of relaxation and remembrance." Peter Cornall of RoSPA said, "RoSPA has been working closely with The Royal Parks to ensure that when the Memorial opens again we've all done our best to make it as safe as possible. One of our main recommendations was for active management and monitoring of the site and this has alerted the Parks to the need for other changes that are now being put in place."