Articles
Cabinet to decide on introducing £2 all day charge at Gedling Country Park
Date Posted: 12:33 PM on Tue, 31 December 2024
Gedling Borough Council Cabinet members will be asked to approve plans to introduce parking charges at Gedling Country Park and roll out cashless payment options across the borough’s car parks at their Cabinet meeting on 9 January.
The council recently launched a statutory consultation to get public feedback on these changes, which aim to enhance convenience for users and generate essential funding for park maintenance. The council has listened to the feedback from the responses and is proposing to introduce a permit system for regular visitors and for member and volunteers of the ‘Friends of Gedling Country Park’ group. Feedback from the consultation about the times of charging were also considered and it is being proposed that charging will be applicable from 8am – 6pm, to allow for early morning or late evening regular visitors to access the park at no extra cost.
Currently, parking at Gedling Country Park is free, with voluntary donations generating approximately £4,000 to £6,000 annually. Under the new proposal, a daily charge of £2 will be introduced, ensuring that the park can continue to meet maintenance needs, such as addressing potholes in the upper car park. This fee is competitive with other country parks in Nottinghamshire and could raise up to £200,000 per year towards the maintenance and upkeep of the Green Flag award winning park.
In addition to the introduction of charges at Gedling Country Park, the council also plans to modernise its parking systems across the borough by introducing cashless payment options. Users will be able to pay with an app or phone, offering more flexibility and the option to extend their parking stay remotely. Card payment options will also be added to selected machines for those preferring not to use the app. Cash will continue to be accepted at all car parks.
Gedling Country Park can also be accessed by public transport and the nearby Lambley Lane car park will not be affected by the introduction of the changes.
Councillor John Clarke MBE, Leader of Gedling Borough Council, said:
"These proposals aim to strike a balance between ensuring our parks and public spaces are well-maintained while making parking more convenient for residents and visitors. The introduction of £2 all day charges at Gedling Country Park will help us sustain and improve this community space for the long term and is the same cost as a cup of tea at the park’s café, which we think is very reasonable compared to other country park car park charges. We’ve listened to feedback from the consultation and while we know people would prefer it to stay free, we have to be realistic but we will offer regular visitors the opportunity to purchase permits which will reduce the cost to them over the year.
We are very proud of our award winning flagship park and we are confident that the thousands of people who visit the park will understand our need to keep the park running effectively. "