Cemetery parking charges lifted after complaints

Mourners visiting a cemetery will no longer have to pay to park after a partial reversal of charges that prompted anger from those visiting graves.

Forestry England has introduced an exemption system allowing relatives to apply for free parking at Lyndhurst Cemetery in the New Forest, more than a month after charges were introduced across 129 car parks it manages in the area.

The move follows complaints from visitors who said paying to park while visiting loved ones' graves felt wrong - with one resident describing it as an "emotional necessity" that had been taken away.

The change was agreed after Lyndhurst Parish Council raised concerns and worked with Forestry England to find a solution.

The charges - which range from £1.50 per hour to £8 for more than four hours - were introduced in April despite ongoing concerns from residents and business owners about their impact.

Forestry England said the cemetery exemption was "intended to support those visiting the cemetery while ensuring spaces remain available".

It added that the original decision to charge at the cemetery had been made partly to prevent the car park being used by visitors trying to avoid paying elsewhere.

Caroline Sanchez, a Lyndhurst resident who visits her mother's grave at the cemetery, said the original charges had felt deeply personal.

"This was the one thing I had left of her, and now it is gone," she said previously.

Following the decision to introduce the exemption, she welcomed the change.

"I am really pleased that cemetery visitors can apply for an exemption to visit graves of loved ones without being charged to park," she said.

Those wishing to apply for an exemption can do so via the Lyndhurst Parish Council website.