Background
In 2021, The City of London Corporation has introduced car parking charges in phases across the whole of Epping Forest. In early 2022, a review is being conducted by the Corporation, the result of which to be report back to its committee meeting in May 2022.
Our responses
In January 2022, we asked our members, local residents, forest visitors and the general public to let us know your views in relation to the car park charges in Epping Froest, of which we would collect and feed in.
We sent in our views on 25th March 2022 based on the collective responses we have received. In brief:
We want to protect and preserve the Forest for the enjoyment of generations to come, and that means minimising the damage caused by cars to the Forest through pollution and damage to the Forest floor (ie. on verges, etc) as some car parking is spreading into the Forest. We therefore support the Corporation’s priority of encouraging sustainable transport to, from, and around the Forest.
In relation to car parking charges specifically, while we appreciate the case they have made for introducing charging, we believe the Corporation needs to take a more sophisticated approach to car parking charges, taking into account the locations of each car park, how each car park is used, the impact of car parking in and around the Forest, and the opportunities it provides for people using the Forest.
A few key points that we would like the City to consider in their review:
- 6 hour time limit.
The 6-hour maximum visitor stay prevents people and groups who might want to enjoy the Forest for longer periods of time, for example, people undertaking long, all-day walks, specific activities requiring a longer time, or day trips to the Forest. We understand that such limits might be necessary in some areas of the south of the Forest, where car parks have been used as “commuter” car parks, thereby reducing the opportunities for Forest visitors, but this is not the case in most areas of the north of the Forest. - Provision for older people and people on lower incomes.
The Forest, an asset previously enjoyed in common before being protected by the Act, should be accessible to everyone to enjoy responsibly. We are concerned that the scheme as introduced prejudices against people who love and cherish the Forest but who may be unable to afford to pay car parking fees. This has impacted a number of our members, including one of our very regular volunteers who has been visiting the Forest since a child, over 70 years ago, but who now no longer visits the Forest to walk his dog. We believe the Corporation should review how it can reduce or remove car parking charges for people on lower incomes. - Electric vehicles.
Exemptions and/or discounts for electric vehicles as they cause less damage to the Forest and its biodiversity. - Public transport options.
People also commented on the lack of public transport options to the Forest meaning that visiting by car was the only way available to them, and suggested more should be done to encourage more bus routes through the Forest, including to key sites such as High Beach.