Some voluntary groups using the park say they might be forced to stop because of the new charges, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

Forty Hall Estate and (inset) a pay-and-display parking notice

Users of Forty Hall Estate have criticised plans by Enfield Council to introduce charges at its car park.

The council said it decided to bring in parking charges at the public car park to “improve traffic management” and “enhance environmental sustainability”.

However, volunteer groups that use the park are “urgently” demanding a meeting with the council to discuss the charges as they say they will struggle to operate.

The council launched an online consultation last month which ends on Sunday, 20th July.

The proposed parking rates range from £2 for up to one hour, to £10 for over four hours, and will apply from 9am until 8pm each day. Parking will remain free if staying under 30 minutes.

Dr Martin Dearne, director of excavations and research for Enfield Archaeological Society, which conducts digs at the historic Elsyng Palace site at Forty Hall, warned the charges could mean “the end of a 20-year research programme”.

Dr Dearne said: “The excavations and a popular open day, which this year is being held on 12th July, rely entirely on often retired volunteers who could not access the site without driving.

“The proposed charges will mean each of them paying £130 during a 13-day annual excavation, for the privilege of investigating their own heritage; which would clearly be impossible for people to afford.”

The council said it hoped to implement the parking charges this autumn, so they would not affect this month’s Elsyng Palace dig.

It comes after local residents recently complained that joyriders were taking over the car park at night, creating a noise nuisance and impacting public safety.

The council explained that income from the new parking fees would support “infrastructure requirements, heritage preservation and enhancing the overall visitor experience”.

However, Conservative councillor Edward Smith described the proposal as “misguided”. He said users of the estate, including dog walkers and runners, as well as the Friends of Forty Hall group and parents dropping off and collecting children from Forty Hall Primary School, would be “seriously inconvenienced”.

Cllr Smith added: “Public transport is not readily available for people wishing to go to Forty Hall and commuter parking is not an issue. The justification that introducing charges will encourage a greater turnover of cars doesn’t make sense and will lead inevitably to fewer people visiting the park.”

Resident Janet Price is also opposed to it. She said: “Many volunteers do valuable work in the gardens, the vineyard, the market garden as well as supporting events.

“The council has promoted volunteering because of the positive effects on mental and physical health but many volunteers will be unable to afford the fees.”

Janet added that an impact assessment had not been published so it was hard for residents to understand any “anticipated benefits”.

In response, a council spokesperson said: “Forty Hall is one of Enfield’s most loved historic places, and we want to protect it for future generations.

“Until now, parking at Forty Hall has been free for all visitors. But maintenance of the site is being impacted by increasing cost pressures and parking spaces are not always used by park visitors.

“To help with this, we’re proposing to introduce parking fees. The money from this would go towards looking after and improving Forty Hall and its facilities.

“Importantly, under this proposal, the first 30 minutes of parking would remain free. This is not offered at many similar large parks across London and by neighbouring councils. This gives flexibility for quick visits, drop-offs or pickups without any cost.

“The car park is also often misused by people loitering in vehicles and causing antisocial behaviour. Introducing charges will help deter this kind of misuse, and part of the income raised will be used to improve car park management.

“We know that changes like this may cause concern, particularly related to cars parking on nearby streets. That’s why we’re also proposing a controlled parking zone (CPZ) around Forty Hall. This would help local residents find parking near their homes and reduce unsafe or obstructive parking.

“This is a proposal and part of a public consultation – no final decisions have been made yet. The council wants to hear from all park users, residents and visitors. Your feedback will help shape what happens next.”

For more information and to take part in the consultation:
Visit Forty Hall Car Park | Let’s Talk Enfield

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