New Forest National Park Authority should receive 50% of profits from car parking charges set to be imposed by Forestry England, says member David Harrison

HALF the profits from proposed car parking charges across the New Forest should be handed to the national park authority, it has been suggested.

As reported in the A&T, Forestry England has met with representatives from the NPA in a behind-closed-doors meeting to discuss the introduction of charges at all New Forest National Park 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.

The issue was discussed at a meeting of the NPA, with member David Harrison suggesting half of the income from the charges should be handed to the authority.

He said: “I understand that Forestry England want to introduce charges as early as next year, which is a big challenge, given the need to consult widely, come up with a scheme that is practical and presumably involves the purchase and installation of all the equipment necessary to start a new charging regime.

“I don't favour the introduction of car parking charges but have to accept that it may be imposed without the support of councillors, board members and representatives of all the organisations that have a stake in the national park.”

He added: “It is critically important that FE discuss and try to agree any detailed plans they have with partner organisations – introducing charges will have all sorts of consequences.

“That said, the biggest issue for me is what will happen to all the income that is collected. Am I being unreasonable in expecting half the profits from car parking income to be given to the New Forest National Park?”

Speaking afterwards, he added: “For me, it would be a really important way of ensuring the financial sustainability of the national park authority – the organisation that does so much to protect and enhance the New Forest that people want to visit.

“It is no secret that the NPA is being short-changed by government, is almost totally reliant on a reducing Defra grant and has no real means of generating income in any other way.

“We should be demanding that Forestry England hand over half their profits to the national park – what better way to ensure that the money generated in the New Forest stays in the New Forest?”

Member Gavin Parker asked whether Forestry England had a timeline of work and how issues such as verge parking would be tackled. He said: “My concern is if the car park charges are introduced too soon, all at once we will have a really difficult situation on our hands. I would also like to say from my own perspective, the introduction of many many hundreds of dragons’ teeth all around our car park areas in order to prevent verge parking seems an intrusion on the landscape of the national park.”

He said the way the proposals have come forward “leaves a lot to be desired” and suggested the NPA needed to take a proactive approach rather than waiting for Forestry England to give more details.

He added: “The danger of this, of us following their timeline and us not getting our position clear, is that we’ll be in a situation where the sands of time run against us, the proposals will be implemented and there will be a series of very difficult repercussions that we as a national park authority will end up sharing some kind of blame or responsibility for. I think we should be setting our position out, the kind of provisions we feel are acceptable or unacceptable for a meaningful discussion that has influence.”

NPA member Zoe Clewer agreed: “It feels like it is going to be rushed. We need a good period of time to introduce and explain these changes and what any exemptions there are – you can’t just drop it in people’s laps. It will feel a little underhand. I think we need to discuss the timeline, how realistic it is and what we need.”

The NPA’s executive director of strategy and planning, Steve Avery, agreed to write to Forestry England setting out key points and concerns. He added: “It is fair to to say the proposals are still evolving. They are setting out very broad terms to introduce car parking charges next year, but there is still a lot of detail to be resolved.

“It is very much a Forestry England scheme which will clearly have an impact and effect on the national park, so we have a legitimate interest in how it is rolled out.”