Forest parking ban starts ahead of car park charges

A parking ban is starting in parts of the New Forest, ahead of the introduction of charging for car parks.

Forestry England previously said it would introduce fees in all 129 of its car parks from late April, although it has not given an exact date.

Hampshire County Council said it was banning parking on 116 roads to prevent displacement parking caused by the charges.

However, it said the ban did not include verges and would not be proactively enforced.

Previously, the New Forest Association has voiced fears over increased verge parking as a result of the car park charges.

Forestry England previously said the fees were necessary because of the increasing cost of repairing car parks and conserving the forest.

It said Forestry England members (who currently pay £96 a year) would enjoy free parking, which would otherwise cost £1.50 for an hour, rising to £8 for more than four hours.

In a statement, Hampshire County Council said: "The introduction of a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO) at locations across the New Forest follows Forestry England's decision to introduce charges at the car parks they oversee.

"This is to help manage any emerging issues caused by unsafe or obstructive parking on the public highway.

"The TTRO provides the option to deploy initial controls quickly if needed where persistent safety or access problems occur.

"These controls would not be deployed pre-emptively at every site, they would be used strictly in response to evidenced issues only.

"The TTRO applies only to issues in relation to the public highway - within the New Forest it does not apply to the adjacent verges or land."

The roads parking ban is listed as having "an approximate start date of 1 April".

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