Epping Forest parking charges “will offset impact of car trip” – transportxtra
Charges will be introduced at 14 car parks in Epping Forest from April to cover the cost of millions of car visits each year, says the City of London Corporation, which manages the former royal forest as a charitable trust.
The Corporation aims to generate enough income “to offset the significant cost of continued car park provision so that the charity’s limited resources can be spent on protecting the Forest and improving the visitor experience”.
Parking schemes are already in place at other green heritage spaces, says the Corporation, citing how the National Trust, English Heritage and Royal Parks all use parking income to fund and reinvest in their sites. “Adding a charge for parking will help the City to challenge perceptions that management of the forest is ‘free’ and that there is no cost to its preservation or management, including the upkeep of 50 car parks.”