New Forest District Council proposing to introduce fines up to £1,000 for public who have barbecues and feed wildlife

HAVING a barbecue in the New Forest and feeding the wildlife could mean a fine of up to £1,000 as New Forest District Council seeks to crack down on “antisocial behaviours”.

A meeting of the council’s cabinet on Tuesday will discuss the proposal for two Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO).

If approved, the orders will mean the lighting of fires and barbecues as well as the feeding and petting of ponies, horses, mules and donkeys will become a criminal offence.

Failure to comply with a PSPO can result in either a fixed penalty notice being issued, which has a maximum penalty of £100, or prosecution through the magistrates’ court with a maximum fine of £1,000.

A report to the cabinet said the idea of PSPOs had been in discussion for some years and looked at wider issues such as the parking of vehicles on verges within the Forest, out of control dogs and wild camping.

The report said that despite a series of high profile campaigns including an operational ban on disposable barbecues on Forestry England (FE) land in 2020, significant numbers of incidents continued to be recorded.

Greater sanctions were needed to tackle the “persistent antisocial behaviours”, it added.

An exception to the rule of fires and barbecues would be allowed at FE campsites at Aldridge Hill, Ashurst, Denny Wood, Hollands Wood, Holmsley, Longbeech, Matley, Ocknell, Roundhill, and Setthorns.

This is due to the campsites being managed and having a series of fire measures in place.

The second PSPO would prohibit the feeding and petting of ponies, horses, mules and donkeys.

The report said dangers associated with feeding and petting roaming Forest animals had been “well documented, publicised and the subject of numerous high profile campaigns” but it was evident such behaviour “continues on a large scale”.

The report said feeding ponies teaches them to associate humans with food, sometimes causing the animals to become aggressive or even struggle to survive on natural sources.

Animals could also become dependent on human food, it said, meaning they may be taken off the Forest.

There were 119 feeding and petting incidents recorded by the NPA ranger team over a six-month period in 2021.

On another occasion a member of the public was bitten after attempting to feed a horse crisps.

A final decision would be taken in the spring after a six-week public consultation.