Gedling Borough Council has tonight (5) announced they will be lowering the proposed annual parking permit price at Gedling Country park following residents raiding concerns it was ‘too high’.
Council leader John Clarke MBE, told the Full Council meeting that the annual permit price for the recently announced car parking charges at Gedling Country Park would be reduced from £200 to £85 at a Full Council meeting this evening,
Councillor Clarke said he made the decision after listening to residents’ concerns that the original price was too high.
Gedling Borough Council announced in January that a daily £2 car parking charge would be introduced at Gedling Country Park to help cover maintenance costs. At the time, an annual permit was also proposed at £200, in line with other council-owned car parks.
Following discussions with council officers, Councillor Clarke said he decided to lower the cost to make the park more accessible for frequent visitors. The revised price also brings the fee in line with similar attractions in the region.
The £2 daily charge will still be introduced as planned.
The council also confirmed that free permits will be provided to the Trustees and Committee Members of Friends of Gedling Country Park and that 25 free permits will be given to volunteers from Gedling Junior Parkrun and Gedling Parkrun.
Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke MBE said: “I have listened to residents and decided to reduce the annual pass from £200 to £85 so that frequent visitors can continue to enjoy this fantastic park. We are facing the difficult challenge of raising funds to maintain the park while balancing the financial pressures residents are experiencing.
“As we set next year’s budget, we will need to consider the impact of this decision on the funding we expected for park maintenance. Some planned improvements may take longer than we had hoped.
“I visited the park yesterday and spoke to people about what they want to see. Everyone I spoke to loves the park—it’s a great asset for this borough. We need to do everything we can to keep it well-used, and I hope this decision makes it easier for people to visit more often, benefiting both the park and its visitors in the long run.”
Details about how visitors can apply for the permits will be announced shortly.
