Voluntary donation boxes at Common car parks sparks confusion
DONATION stations introduced at car parks by a wildlife trust at some of Newbury’s iconic commons have been met with confusion and frustration by visitors.
The Bucks, Berks and Oxon Wildlife Trust installed the voluntary donation boxes at car parks around Greenham and Crookham Commons and Thatcham’s Nature Discovery Centre last week in an effort to raise funds for the trust.
There is no compulsory requirement to pay, but the recommended donation of £3 per vehicle for short stays and £5 for longer stays would help improve the visitors’ experience, according to the trust.
BBOWT said of the new boxes: “All of the donations will be used by BBOWT on the West Berkshire nature reserves and at the Nature Discovery Centre to make the land and facilities better for people and for wildlife.
“This includes maintenance of the car park and paths, providing education sessions for school groups and looking after the wildlife that lives here.”
Not everybody has been bowled over by the new scheme, however, and Greenham Parish Council acting clerk Heather Westbrook said that the authority had not been consulted beforehand and was already receiving complaints from concerned residents.
She said: “I am concerned about the number of complaints we are going to get and people are looking at it and thinking it is something to do with the control tower, and not the trust.
“I have already spoken to BBOWT and expressed our concerns because the public at large have already assumed it’s the parish council. It is the trust and nothing to do with us.”
She stopped short of saying the new signs were misleading, but said: “It certainly implies there’s a parking charge and people are reading it as a parking charge.
“On a personal level I don’t have a problem with it per se, but everybody else planning on parking there will assume they are going to have to pay to park, and that’s my concern. I would have expected a big sign, similar to what you get in cathedrals.”
Senior land manager for BBOWT Alex Cruickshank said: “We have made it as clear as possible with signs, leaflets and talking to visitors that these are for donations and that nobody is obliged to pay.
“All of the visitors that I have spoken to have been very supportive, and this method for collecting donations is in use in many similar situations across the country.
“We informed the town and parish councils of our plans before the stations were installed.
“I wasn’t aware of any concerns until Tuesday when Heather Westbrook from Greenham Parish Council contacted me to say that concerns had been raised by members of the public.
“Heather gave her support for the project, but thought that it could be made clearer that BBOWT was asking for donations, so I will review the signs and make changes if necessary.”
