Beauty spots to introduce parking fees?
Plan put forward as part of future management
CAR parking charges could be brought in at several Moorlands areas managed by Staffordshire County Council as part of future management plans.
Visitors to Chasewater Country Park and parts of Cannock Chase already pay to use council car parks.
But Staffordshire County Council is now considering introducing fees to other parts of its countryside estate.
The authority is responsible for six country parks including Hanchurch Hills, Apedale, Deep Hayes and Greenway Bank; nine local sites including Froghall Wharf; and three greenways – Leek to Rushton, Oakamoor to Denstone and Stafford to Newport.
Consall Nature Park is also owned by Staffordshire County Council but now managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
Proposals to outsource management of some sites to external organisations were approved by the council in 2019 but are now set to be reconsidered.
Councillor Victoria Wilson, cabinet member for communities and culture, told a scrutiny committee meeting: “Various options have been explored for the management of the estate since 2013. However in 2019 it became clear that significant financial savings could not be achieved through alternative management within the required MTFS (Medium Term Financial Strategy) timescales. Cabinet then agreed to meet the required MTFS commitment through a review of the rural county staffing structure and this has delivered savings of about £500,000.
“The cabinet paper included a further commitment to explore alternative management. However, a great alternative approach proposes we retain the estate in our ownership and management. This will focus time and resources on improving our countryside and environment offer.”
The council is also considering greater use of volunteers, including creating volunteer warden roles.
Sarah Bentley, head of environment and countryside, added at the meeting: “In 2018 we brought in pay and display car parking charges at Chasewater Country Park and that’s been incredibly successful in helping us recover our costs and providing better facilities.
“It also enabled us to secure wider funding to improve the park. “Parking charges for Cannock Chase will be brought in over the next few years.
“We would also like to extend the pay and display parking approach to other sites. That would enable us to improve facilities and invest in the sites.”
But Councillor David Smith said: “Last summer I went to Cannock Chase and tried to pay for my parking. The machine was out of order and there was no staff. People had the will to pay to park, but couldn’t pay the money.
“I think that if we’re increasing the amount of paid-for car parking we need to look at how we’re going to manage it.”
Car parking charges at Chasewater Country Park have been incredibly successful
Sarah Bentley