SUSPENSION OF CAR PARKING TRIAL IN EAST ANGLIA

Families on the Giant Play Sculpture trail in Thetford forest

The Forestry Commission in East Anglia announced on 7 August that it had suspended the Car Parking Trial at six picnic sites in Thetford Forest Park and one at Rendlesham Forest Centre with immediate effect. The scheme was expected to continue at these sites until the late Autumn.

The trial allowed car park users to pay for car parking by telephone, either mobile or landline, by calling or texting – avoiding the need for ticket machines and other infrastructure in the forest environment.

Since the beginning of the trial, there has been an element of public resistance to the introduction of parking charges. This has been demonstrated by visitors in some cases avoiding a charge by parking either illegally or unsafely – for example parking before ‘beyond this point’ signs, using fire roads as alternative parking places and going elsewhere in the forest

In view of this and a number of complaints, the Forestry Commission decided to temporarily suspend the trial that commenced on 21st June. The issues sited by the small number of users who were unhappy with using the system were poor mobile reception in some forest parking areas, a requirement to enter credit or debit card details and in the case of those who did not possess a credit or debit card, the inability to pay by alternative means.

The suspension of the Car Parking Trial in East Anglia does not indicate a change to Forestry Commission policy on charging for car parking on the public forest estate. The Commission is reviewing all payment options that could be introduced at these car parks, including the pay by phone option for those who found this a convenient way to pay for the service.

As charges help meet the increasing costs of maintaining our visitor facilities and creating new exciting attractions, we will continue to charge for car parking at some sites and may introduce charges at others in the future. The Car Parking Trial continues at car parks in Northamptonshire and in the South East of England.

The Forestry Commission would like to take the opportunity to thank its visitors to the public forest estate who have contributed to the evaluation of the trial.

Editors Notes:
The seven car parks are: Lynford Water, Lynford Zig Zag, Lynford Stag, Santon Downham, St Helens and Two Mile Bottom in Thetford Forest Park and Rendlesham Forest, near Woodbridge.

The Forestry Commission manages more than 1,500 woodlands covering over 200,000 hectares and works hard across all of them to make them attractive and interesting places to visit. Some are small and secluded while others are visited by hundreds of thousands of people - in all we host over 100 million visits a year. To help visitors make the most of their visit; we provide a wide range of facilities. These range from car parks, visitor centres, walking trails, special events, children’s play areas and some of the country’s most challenging mountain bike trails. For more information see www.forestry.gov.uk/england and www.forestry.gov.uk/eastengland

Media contacts:
Jo Fowler
Forestry Commission England Press Officer
01223 346034 or 07833 672903

e-mail: jo.fowler@forestry.gsi.gov.uk