£10 bank holiday parking charge at prices rise at Hamsterley Forest

CAR parking charges are to be increased at Hamsterley Forest from £5 to £6 – with an increase to £10 on bank holidays weekends.
Meanwhile, automatic number plate recognition cameras will be installed to beef up security and ensure no one gets away without paying. It is hoped it will also stop damage to tracks and trails following an incident last November when off-road vehicles wreaked havoc in the dead of night.
However, move to increase changes has provoked a backlash with some people saying the rise is too much and that charging this amount will put people off.
One person said: “No way £10 per visit on a bank holiday. We live in Weardale and pride ourselves in supporting our local Forestry Commission site. This is devastating news to us as frequent visitors to the forest.”
Dozens of people have taken to social media to complain. The Forestry Commission says it needs to put the charges up because of “additional pressures on site and associated costs”. The 2,000 hectare tourist attraction is also undergoing a revamp with new children’s play equipment and trails.
The present car parking charges are £1.50 for a one-hour stay and £5 all day. After April 1, it will rise to £6 for all day parking. On bank holiday weekends, it will be £1.50 for up to an hour and £10 all day.
No further increase is planned until at least 2019, said the Forestry Commission, which says it makes no profits from its charges. The money will help pay for litter collections, increased toilet cleaning, an improved play trail, improvements to the car park, and additional staff on duty during busy periods of the year.