Verderers urged to block Forestry England’s ‘mobile cafes’ plan for New Forest

PLANS to allow mobile cafes in New Forest car parks have been branded a “recipe for disaster” for its free-roaming animals.

The scheme, which will see Forestry England extend the remit of ice cream vans to include the sale of hot drinks and snacks, is set to be rolled out this spring at Boldrewood, Blackwater, Wilverley, Dibden and Bolton’s Bench in Lyndhurst.

It comes in the wake of FE rejecting calls from local traders to ban the Bolton’s Bench ice cream van over concerns it was stealing their custom.

The mobile cafe plans have been similarly condemned, with representatives from the Commoners Defence Association, the New Forest Young Commoners and the Friends of the New Forest calling for a rethink.

Speaking a meeting of the Verderers Court on Wednesday, Commoners Defence Association chair Andrew Parry-Norton urged the verderers to take the “unusual” step of blocking Forestry England’s plans.

“Commoners’ stock interacting with visitors is already a major concern. Adding families’ queueing then eating cakes and sandwiches will draw ponies into conflict with visitors,” warned Mr Parry-Norton.

“Pigs during pannage season are quick to learn to use a new food source, which can have serious disease consequences.”

As reported, Forestry England’s Deputy Surveyor for the New Forest, Craig Harrison, said the organisation is increasing reliant on revenue generated from mobile catering van licences to fund carpark repairs and its conservation work.

He said: ”In addition to our forestry and habitat restoration work in the New Forest, we also look after a network of 130 car parks, maintain hundreds of miles of trails, paths and cycle routes and run visitor-focused ranger patrols.”

Setting out that the new mobile catering units will be located in the Forest’s more “robust locations” that already supported high numbers of visitors, Mr Harrison explained: “The key update at these locations is the provisions of hot drinks and a limited number of unwrapped cakes and pastries.”

He said there were “no plans” for burger vans or allowing the sale of hot or cold sandwiches, adding: “We agree that would be inappropriate.”

The new licence holder at Bolton’s Bench in Lyndhurst, Silvie Brejchova, also addressed the Verderers Court in a bid to alleviate concerns, stating that cakes would be homemade with “very little packaging” and she would become an “ambassador” for the Forest. Ms Brejchova said: “I am delighted to have run my mobile cafe business for three years now. We are not just a cafe, we take pride in making a difference to the community and the environment around us.”

However, Louise England, chair of the New Forest Young Commoners, said members had “serious concerns” over the proposal. She said. “We are concerned that the proposal in the longer term will introduce an element of urbanisation, changing the natural environment forever, mimicking what is available at many less unique places.”

“Once introduced, it would be impossible to turn back the clock and recover what is lost.”

Friends of the New Forest vice-chair Peter Frost also spoke against the plans: “Surely such outlets in these proposed New Forest locations can only increase adverse interactions between visitors and commoners’ stock, attract vermin and foxes, and raise the spectre of increased competition for hard-pressed local traders.”

Fellow New Forest Association member and New Forest Consultative Panel chair Brian Tarnoff warned “inappropriate” New Forest activities had been normalised by the continued operation of campsites on Crown lands.

He said: “Forestry England has pledged to manage the Crown lands as a national nature reserve. With this in mind it is hard to fathom how honeypot food van pitches or campsites could ever be established here.”

Stating that the Commoners Defence Association had “every sympathy” with Forestry England’s financial worries, Mr Parry-Norton said “quick monetary gains” must not come at the expense of the national park’s special environment.

“We ask the verderers, as protectors of commoning, to think very carefully before giving their permission,” said Mr Parry-Norton.

“This is an unusual request and, as such, is not covered by the memorandum of understanding between FE and the Verderers. The Forest needs to be correctly funded, and that responsibility lies with Defra and the government, let’s not create problems for each other by trying to achieve very quick, small monetary gains.”