Date received: 20 July 2023
Signatures received: 1175
Name of petitioner: Nigel Yates
Petition response:
Dear Mr Yates,
RE: Receipt of Petition – Parking Charges at Greenway Bank Country Park
I refer to the petition, signed by local residents regarding the request regarding the Parking Charges at Greenway Bank Country Park.
Staffordshire County Council Cabinet agreed to extend car parking charges on the county council’s countryside estate in March 2019 as part of a range of financial sustainability measures at country parks. A further Cabinet decision was made last year to retain the management of the countryside estate in-house and to focus on maximising the benefits the estate delivers to our communities across the Council’s strategic priorities – through nature recovery, supporting health and wellbeing and supporting local business opportunities.
The countryside estate provides a great facility to support healthy outdoor activity and mental wellbeing and there has been a growth in use of countryside sites as a result. During the pandemic, countryside sites saw unprecedented levels of use. This is positive for health and wellbeing, but it does place pressure on the sites and their infrastructure. Visitor use and impact on green spaces requires active management across the whole countryside estate and is not an issue restricted to Cannock Chase. To support healthy activity, and to be able to make that offer more inclusive for all residents, requires significant maintenance and improvement works on the sites, at a time when costs of materials have increased.
The decision to introduce car park charges on the countryside estate therefore remains key to ensuring their sustainability. Monies generated are ring-fenced to enable the council to better maintain countryside car parking facilities and to invest surplus in the wider management of the sites. This includes works to enhance accessibility and enjoyment, and conservation work to benefit the environment.
The council is very mindful of cost of living pressures for our residents and measures are in place to reduce the impacts. Car parking charges at new sites will be phased in with an initial voluntary period. An annual permit will also be available covering all sites – the current cost is £36 per annum – less than 10p per day – significantly reducing the cost for regular site users. Blue badge holders park for free.
Before parking charges are brought in at any new sites, assessment work will be carried out through our Highways department to consider safety issues on adjacent highways which could arise from displacement parking. This work will propose measures required to address these issues and there will be public and stakeholder consultation to ensure people can have their say.
Yours sincerely,
Sarah Bentley
Head of Environment and Countryside