mistericeman
Full Member
- Posts
- 4,906
- Likes
- 11,251
We completely understand why some people have expressed concern about the introduction of car parking charges at RSPB South Stack. We have managed to grant free access to the reserve since we took on the lease of the site in 1977 of approximately 750 acres of lowland heathland. Sadly, the costs in the form of an annual debt to us as a charity for doing so means this is no longer sustainable.
As we’re sure you’re very well aware, the wildlife in our countryside remains under considerable pressure from a growing number of threats. Consequently, the amount of work that the RSPB and other conservation organisations have to do is increasing annually. Managing nature reserves costs a lot of money. Buying new areas of land for wildlife and securing it for future generations; managing, maintaining and creating habitats so that they are in the best possible condition for wildlife to thrive in them; providing high quality facilities for visitors to our 200+ reserves across the UK and outdoor learning to thousands of children from all financial backgrounds, costs the RSPB millions of pounds every year. The costs of doing all this work are rising annually.
At the same time, public sector spend on wildlife conservation from which the RSPB can benefit, is falling. The availability of grant income which has helped to pay for much of our work has shrunk markedly in recent years. The RSPB is very grateful for members and supporters donations without which we would be unable to do much of our conservation work across the UK. Unfortunately, this money does not bridge the gap to enable us to operate sustainably as an organisation and deliver all the work listed above against a backdrop of increasing threats to nature and reduced sources of other income.
Introducing a £5 charge for car parking will ensure that we are able to continue to deliver our conservation mission. The beautiful environment at RSPB South Stack needs managing every year to maintain its beauty and ensure it provides exactly the right kind of habitat for the scarce wildlife that lives on the reserve to thrive. If we did not spend money on its management it would quickly lose its beauty and value to wildlife. The landscape has been managed by people for hundreds if not thousands of years and in order for species such as the Silver-studded blue butterfly to survive it has to continue to be managed.
The charge will also provide facilities for the large number of visitors, including very many families, who visit the site each year and use our facilities for their leisure. For example, staff that can help them get the most out of their visit, the events we run on the reserve, the network of paths, a safe place to park their vehicles, Ellin’s Tower a grade II listed building with information about reserve, the designated children’s play area and the toilets. This facility supports local businesses by purchasing goods to sell in our café and employing local people.
The public nowadays have very high expectations when they visit sites like RSPB South Stack. If we were to scale back on the quality and standard of our facilities and our visitor experience the natural habitat due to a lack of funding, we believe fewer people would come to the reserve and enjoy its wonderful natural scenery and wildlife.
The good news is that visiting the reserve will remain free of charge to those who arrive by taxi, on foot or on a bicycle. Visitors who support the RSPB as existing members or sign up for membership will get free parking at South Stack as well as benefiting from unlimited access to our other nature reserves across the UK. A family membership comes at a very modest monthly cost allowing free parking for a family of up to 2 adults and 5 children, along with a joining gift, quarterly magazines for the adults and magazines for the children every 2 months.
This was a difficult decision for the RSPB to take, but we’re afraid we feel there was no other option. Supporting the RSPB by paying the car park charge at South Stack will mean we do not have to divert money away from our conservation mission on the reserve or in other parts of the country.
We hope this goes some way to explaining why we have taken this decision.
As we’re sure you’re very well aware, the wildlife in our countryside remains under considerable pressure from a growing number of threats. Consequently, the amount of work that the RSPB and other conservation organisations have to do is increasing annually. Managing nature reserves costs a lot of money. Buying new areas of land for wildlife and securing it for future generations; managing, maintaining and creating habitats so that they are in the best possible condition for wildlife to thrive in them; providing high quality facilities for visitors to our 200+ reserves across the UK and outdoor learning to thousands of children from all financial backgrounds, costs the RSPB millions of pounds every year. The costs of doing all this work are rising annually.
At the same time, public sector spend on wildlife conservation from which the RSPB can benefit, is falling. The availability of grant income which has helped to pay for much of our work has shrunk markedly in recent years. The RSPB is very grateful for members and supporters donations without which we would be unable to do much of our conservation work across the UK. Unfortunately, this money does not bridge the gap to enable us to operate sustainably as an organisation and deliver all the work listed above against a backdrop of increasing threats to nature and reduced sources of other income.
Introducing a £5 charge for car parking will ensure that we are able to continue to deliver our conservation mission. The beautiful environment at RSPB South Stack needs managing every year to maintain its beauty and ensure it provides exactly the right kind of habitat for the scarce wildlife that lives on the reserve to thrive. If we did not spend money on its management it would quickly lose its beauty and value to wildlife. The landscape has been managed by people for hundreds if not thousands of years and in order for species such as the Silver-studded blue butterfly to survive it has to continue to be managed.
The charge will also provide facilities for the large number of visitors, including very many families, who visit the site each year and use our facilities for their leisure. For example, staff that can help them get the most out of their visit, the events we run on the reserve, the network of paths, a safe place to park their vehicles, Ellin’s Tower a grade II listed building with information about reserve, the designated children’s play area and the toilets. This facility supports local businesses by purchasing goods to sell in our café and employing local people.
The public nowadays have very high expectations when they visit sites like RSPB South Stack. If we were to scale back on the quality and standard of our facilities and our visitor experience the natural habitat due to a lack of funding, we believe fewer people would come to the reserve and enjoy its wonderful natural scenery and wildlife.
The good news is that visiting the reserve will remain free of charge to those who arrive by taxi, on foot or on a bicycle. Visitors who support the RSPB as existing members or sign up for membership will get free parking at South Stack as well as benefiting from unlimited access to our other nature reserves across the UK. A family membership comes at a very modest monthly cost allowing free parking for a family of up to 2 adults and 5 children, along with a joining gift, quarterly magazines for the adults and magazines for the children every 2 months.
This was a difficult decision for the RSPB to take, but we’re afraid we feel there was no other option. Supporting the RSPB by paying the car park charge at South Stack will mean we do not have to divert money away from our conservation mission on the reserve or in other parts of the country.
We hope this goes some way to explaining why we have taken this decision.
