Petition to review Danebury Hill Parking Charges

Thank you for your email, and for sharing the petition regarding the implementation of parking charges at Danebury Hill Fort.

The Future Services Consultation 2024, which included the proposal for implementing charging at rural car parking sites, ran from 8 January 2024 to 31 March 2024. During this period, the consultation was advertised at various sites across Hampshire and through local district, borough, parish and town councils. Select proposals were agreed by the County Council’s Cabinet on 14 October 2024. I appreciate this information should have been shared with you when you contacted the Council in November regarding your pilot period.  I understand the information was shared when you met with our Countryside Team on 25 March 2025 regarding your new licence, which was followed up with an email further sharing information about these plans prior to you agreeing your licence for the year.

Regarding your comments on the consultation documents, we need to maintain the well-used car park areas at Danebury Hill Fort and have plans for wider improvements, but this requires investment at a time when the County Council’s finances are under more pressure than ever before. We will take on board your feedback regarding areas to focus on when we are making improvements to the site. An initial free hour of parking is deemed to be commercially unviable at this site. Similar rural sites (without facilities) managed by Forestry England such as Havant Thicket and Creech Wood, do not offer an initial free period. Our goal is to keep fees as low as possible while reflecting the feedback from the public consultation where over 4,400 people provided their view on an appropriate figure for paying for up to two hours parking. This figure was £1.83 and the proposed tariffs for Danebury Hill Fort are over a third lower than this amount for two hours. The income from these parking charges will be ringfenced for use by the Countryside Service. The media statement referenced the broader Future Services Consultation 2024 and how income from all potential projects could be used.

The site will be monitored utilising the existing contract the County Council has in place, with a schedule to be agreed for Parking Enforcement Officers to visit. The site will also continue to be managed by the County Council’s Site Manager, who will be able to monitor for any maintenance requirements. We will monitor any reports of parking on nearby verges and can take further action if required. I understand you are now in more regular contact with the Countryside Team who can be an additional route for you to provide feedback if required.

Thank you again for sharing your views.

Yours sincerely

Councillor Lulu Bowerman
Executive Member for Highways and Passenger Transport