Commoners’ Defence Association wants involvement in discussions around Forestry England plans to introduce fees at New Forest car parks

Plans to introduce parking fees at Forestry England car parks should be subject to roundtable talks with commoners and other interest groups, the Verderers’ Court has been told.

As reported, FE met with representatives from the national park authority in a behind-closed-doors meeting to discuss the introduction of charges at all New Forest car parks.

Pointing to the ongoing costs of maintaining around 130 car parks, the organisation says it now receives only 10% of its core funding from the government, and the rest must be found elsewhere.

However, the Commoners’ Defence Association says it should be engaged in preliminary discussions over the potential change. Speaking at the Verderers’ Court, CDA chair Andrew Parry-Norton said commoners were keen to avoid having “surprises thrown at them”.

He warned: “Over the last year there have been decisions taken that have had large impacts on the Forest, and these decisions have a lasting legacy on our unique landscape.

“Car parking charges are the next instalment in the Forest’s history, possibly coming into force within the next 12 months. As every Forest organisation struggles with underfunding, ever-increasing numbers of visitors seem the obvious target to develop a revenue stream.”

Stating that commoners are often at the “frontline in dealing with visitors”, Mr Parry-Norton said these interactions ranged from telling parents not to place their child on a Shetland pony’s back, to attending late-night road crashes involving stock.

He said: “These situations are becoming more frequent as visitor numbers increase and decisions are made that could potentially impact commoners and their stock.”

Describing the ancient practice of turning out livestock as an important part of the Forest’s future, Mr Parry-Norton urged Forestry England to involve commoners in major discussions.

He continued: “Instead of having surprises thrown at us with little time to respond, engage with us, involve us in talks at an early stage.

“The CDA is not there to be disruptive; a compromise is often the best way forward but it requires openness and roundtable talks.”

The issue of potential car parking charges was also raised by Sarah Nield in her capacity as chair of the New Forest Association. She said: “First and foremost, everything must be done to avoid the inevitable risk of displacement parking, whether on Forest verges, in Forest villages, enclosure entrances, or indeed anywhere cars may stray.”

Stating that charges must be at all Forest parking areas, both formal and informal, Ms Nield said fees must also be applied at the National Trust-owned Forest commons. She also called for robust measures to stop verge parking.

Ms Nield continued: “To reduce the temptation of displacement parking, any charges need to be workable, reasonable and make provision for discounted charges for Forest residents and low income groups – also exempting commoners and those who play a part in maintaining the Forest.”

She called for transparent accounting of parking revenue, which should be “ringfenced for the Forest”.

A spokesperson for Forestry England told the A&T: “A sustainable approach to funding New Forest car parks is needed if we are to going to be able to continue to maintain such a large network and carry out our work.

“We are working together with other Forest groups to look at how we fund this work in the future and will share more information as plans develop.”

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