How entry fees took over Britain's countryside
Growing stretches of the English countryside are 'falling behind a paywall,' campaigners warn as national parks grapple with drastic funding cuts.
The Peak District National Park Authority caused uproar last week when executives said they were mulling the introduction of a £1 entry fee. Meanwhile, visitors to the New Forest face fresh parking charges.
Elsewhere, centuries-old free access to Lord Bathurst's Cirencester Park in Gloucestershire was monetised last year, access to a popular waterfall on Dorset's Bridehead Estate was blocked as of Monday, and the National Trust has hiked its membership fees by 25pc in the space of just three years.
While the fees may be small, campaigners say they underpin a crisis of growing inaccessibility to Britain's beauty spots.
Recent government research found that 34pc of people do not have access to a woodland larger than 50 acres within 4km of their home.
And just 8pc of land in England is covered by the right to roam – making it one of the worst rate rates in Europe, according to a separate 2022 study.
Lewis Winks, of the Right to Roam campaign, said: 'From entry fees for historically open parks, to pay-for-permission wild camping and river swimming, the paywalling of the countryside is quietly shutting the public out.
'Britain already has the lowest levels of nature connectedness in Europe – we should be making it easier for everyone to get outside, not creating more barriers.'
National park entry fees
An entry fee to England's most accessible national park, the Peak District, has been suggested by its chief executive Phil Mulligan.
The authority's financial troubles have been blamed on a fixed government grant that has not accounted for inflation or other costs such as the rise in the minimum wage.
The dwindling of funds comes as the Peak District grapples with parking mayhem, overcrowding and litter problems which have blighted popular attractions such as Mam Tor.
Mr Mulligan told the BBC that the park, which has around 13 million visitors per year, has cut 10pc of its staff in recent months and suffered a 50pc real terms funding cut over the last decade.
A 10p per person fee would cover its recent losses, while a bolder £1 rate would eliminate the need for core government funding.
The idea has been backed by the Reform UK leader of Derbyshire County Council.
But the Peak District isn't alone in considering an admission charge. Kevin Bishop, chief executive of the Dartmoor National Park Authority, questioned if the rugged moorlands need to become the 'equivalent to a low-emission zone' where 'you get charged entry'.
As reported by The Times, he said a public debate was needed on how national parks' upkeep should be paid for.
'Are you going to have a national park funding model whereby you have to pay a hiking licence, like you have to do in some countries every time you want to go for a walk?'
The prospect of enforcing entry fees to access our national parks – which would need to be greenlit by the Government – has split opinion.
Diane Drinkwater, of the British Beekeepers Association, believes access to nature 'should never become a luxury', and stresses that revenue raised must be ring-fenced and reinvested into the natural world.
Kate Ashbrook, of the Open Spaces Society, said the group 'would certainly object to a fee just to enter an area', while regular Peak District hiker, Chloe Groom, said: 'The people who will be hit hardest are those that visit the national park two or three times a week. This takes enjoying the outdoors from a free and accessible activity to one that has a price tag.'
Reacting after news broke of the potential £1 charge, Telegraph reader, Lee McLoughlin, commented: 'Here begins the monetising of outdoor spaces. Hell awaits society.' Mike Ross, who labelled the proposal 'ridiculous', said 'soon we won't be able to visit any part of the country without paying fees. What is life coming to?'.
A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesman said: 'Our national parks are a source of great national pride, which is why this government is providing them with a capital uplift of £15m.
'This is in addition to the £400m we are investing in restoring nature across the country. We are also helping national parks cut through bureaucracy and take an entrepreneurial approach to boost earnings.'
Car park fees continue to climb
Cash-strapped authorities have also been accused of exploiting Britain's beauty spots via their car parking fees.
A minimum stay at Snowdon's popular Pen-y-Pass car park costs £20. Staying for a full day sets visitors back £40.
Examples of rate increases at beauty spots are endless. Despite strong opposition, Leeds City Council this year introduced parking charges at five of its parklands, while Labour-run Birmingham City Council is pushing to bring in controversial rates at a trio of parks visited by thousands each year.
The year-round fees, costing up to £5 a day, are proposed for Sutton Park, Sheldon Country Park and Lickey Hills Country Park.
Ewan Mackey, a Conservative councillor, said: 'These parks were given to the people of this city for their use in perpetuity, for the benefit of their health and well-being.
'They weren't given to the council to be used as an out in Labour's ongoing cycle of crises.'
The council concedes the charges are 'unpopular', but said in a report that it is 'reasonable to ask park users to contribute financially to [their] upkeep'.
Elsewhere, Forestry England is considering introducing fees at its 130 car parks in the New Forest.
Branded 'highly immoral' and a 'penny pinching' tactic by critics, the public body is understood to be eyeing up the parking price plan for next year.
It partly blamed the need to charge motorists on 'prolonged bad weather' which has damaged its car parks and increased maintenance bills.
A spokesman said: 'Caring for the New Forest has become increasingly expensive in recent years. This includes the price of vital materials needed to repair and maintain the car parks that have increased by more than 50pc over the last three years.
'At the same time, higher levels of damage to trails and car parks have been caused by prolonged bad weather and increasing usage.'
Forestry England said less than 20pc of its funding comes from the Government.
The spokesman added: 'We need to raise the majority of funds for car parks, trails and all of the work we do, ourselves. A sustainable approach to funding is needed if we are going to be able to continue to do this vital work and provide these facilities.'
For those regularly using beauty spot car parks, annual membership with charities and organisations such as the National Trust, RSPB and Forestry Commission continues to be the most cost-effective option.
Locations such as the White Cliffs of Dover (£6 per car) charge for parking, but the sites are free to use for members.
Those looking to save on National Trust annual membership can purchase a National Trust for Scotland annual pass for £74.40, and still benefit from the parking perks in the rest of the UK. This is £22 cheaper than buying traditional National Trust membership.
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