There has been a mixed reaction by dog walkers and motorists to the introduction of parking charges at a popular Surrey beauty spot regularly used as a film set.
Forestry England will start charging motorists £1 to park at Bourne Wood for up to two hours, with a maximum daily rate of £3. It is also offering an annual pass for £48.
The forest, between Farnham and Tilford, is a popular spot for film-makers and was used as a location in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator in 2000, as well as the Netflix series The Witcher and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
Rachel Banks, who runs the Strolls and Scamps dog walking company, said: “The charges are going to impact on our business.”
Forestry England said it only gets around 20 percent of its income from the government and has to generate the rest itself.
Dog walker Evelyn Snare said: “I’m quite content. It’s a lovely area – why not look after it?
“It’s only less than a pound a week. So what can you complain about really?”
Ms Banks, who uses the area to walk dogs, said: “We want to keep our prices competitive, but I think we are not the only business.
“That will be impacted by this.”
Parking signs were vandalised ad cleaned up recently, according to some walkers.
Another dog walker said the fee could put off some casual visitors and some motorists are already parking elsewhere which could cause problems for residents.
Others said Forestry England already makes money from film companies using the pine wood as a location.
‘Contribution’
A Forestry England spokesperson said: “In recent years, our costs have risen considerably as the prices of materials and services have increased.
“In order to maintain our current extensive network of places to visit we also ask for a contribution from those using them.
“This includes charging for car parking in our network of car parks across the country.
“All the money raised goes directly back into caring for the nation’s forests.”
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