Background
The Epping Forest Charity is commencing a Visitor Management Strategy for Epping Forest. The purpose is to identify scope to provide additional infrastructure, divert/promote recreational use in certain areas, and protect the most sensitive areas of the Forest. It is being delivered by Footprint Ecology, the ecologists who delivered visitor surveys in 2017 and 2019.
We await the publication of a first draft. In the meantime, we held a People’s Forest Panel discussion on visitor management within Epping Forest, inviting local people to come and discuss the issue. We intend for this public forum to inform our own policy position and response to the drafted strategy.
A sunny footpath in the ancient Forest
Progress and updates
July 2026
We hold our inaugural People’s Forest Panel, where visitor management is discussed. Subsequently, we have produced a short summary of the conversation.
June 2026
The recommendation to add transport elements into the Visitor Management Strategy, rather than having a separate Transport Strategy, is announced at the Epping Forest & Commons Committee Meeting
November 2025
The Visitor Management Strategy is announced at the Epping Forest Consultative Group Annual General Meeting (AGM).