Wokingham Borough Council plans to introduce a £2.50 all-day parking charge at Ashenbury Park in Woodley as part of a package to fund improvements to the public greenspace ahead of its conversion into a country park.
Charge to pay for immediate works
The council says the income will help cover about £200,000 of investment already committed for footpath upgrades and other site improvements. Ashenbury Park, accessed from Tippings Lane, currently has a car park with roughly 45 spaces and parking there is at present free.
Officers told councillors at a Woodley town council planning and community committee meeting on 21 July that the park will be managed in-house by the borough’s countryside team while further enhancements are planned to bring it up to the standard of the borough’s other country parks.
“We’re not introducing the full level of country park car parking charges because we acknowledge that the park itself is not yet at the standard of our other country parks,”
That explanation was given by Andy Glencoss, head of environmental services at Wokingham Borough Council. He said the council was not simply seeking revenue but was applying charges to fund the upfront works. Councillor Mark Ashwell, the borough executive member for leisure and countryside, emphasised the charges were necessary to pay for the initial improvements.
Local reaction
The proposal has prompted criticism from local figures. David Bragg, former mayor of Woodley, described the introduction of fees as “diabolical”, pointing out that the park currently offers few facilities beyond the newly installed pathway and questioning the fairness of applying a charge before more amenities are provided.
- Location: Ashenbury Park, Tippings Lane, Woodley
- Existing car parking: approximately 45 spaces (currently free)
- Proposed charge: £2.50 per day
- Intended funding use: circa £200,000 for footpaths and site improvements
What happens next
The council has set out that the charge is a modest level compared with its country park tariffs because Ashenbury does not yet have facilities such as a café or toilet block. The borough’s countryside team will manage the site while further works are planned. No implementation date was provided at the committee meeting briefing.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Parking spaces | ~45 |
| Proposed charge | £2.50 (all-day) |
| Planned investment | £200,000 (footpaths and improvements) |
Residents wishing to comment should watch for forthcoming consultations or formal announcements from Wokingham Borough Council setting out implementation dates and any exemptions. For now, the proposal has highlighted a recurring dilemma for local authorities: how to balance open access to green spaces with the funding required to maintain and improve them.
