Cookies

We use essential cookies to make our site work. We'd also like to set analytics cookies that help us make improvements by measuring how you use the site. These will be set only if you accept.

For more detailed information about the cookies we use, see our cookies page.

Essential Cookies

Essential cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. For example, the selections you make here about which cookies to accept are stored in a cookie.

You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.

Analytics Cookies

We'd like to set Google Analytics cookies to help us improve our website by collecting and reporting information on how you use it. The cookies collect information in a way that does not directly identify you.

Third Party Cookies

Third party cookies are ones planted by other websites while using this site. This may occur (for example) where a Twitter or Facebook feed is embedded with a page. Selecting to turn these off will hide such content.

Car Parking

From 1st February 2025 we have introduced  new parking arrangements at the Country Park using the RingGo parking app. The RingGo site code is: 49402. Charges are as follows:

Up to 2 hours £1

Over 2 hours £2

Please note that RingGo charge a 'convenience fee ' of 20p.

Payment can be made at any time on the same day as the visit. Please take the opportunity to register with the RingGo app before your visit.

A cashless parking session can be purchased in one of the following ways:

  • via the RingGo app on a smartphone,
  • by phoning RingGo directly (020 3046 0010) with any type of phone

Parking sessions can also be booked remotely from a pc, laptop or any other listed device; Several vehicles can be added to a RingGo account which means that any motorist who is uncomfortable with using the cashless system can ask a friend or relative to book a parking session on their behalf.

Can I call RingGo from a landline?

You can call RingGo on 020 3046 0010 to pay for parking from a landline or mobile phone.

If you call RingGo from a landline, the automated telephone system will ask you to enter your mobile number. If you have a mobile phone, you can enter your registered mobile number and PIN/password to confirm your account and fast-track the process. If you do not know your PIN/password, you can request an email reminder using RingGo’s online PIN/password recovery tool at

https://myringgo.co.uk/resetpassword

If you do not have a mobile phone, you can enter the landline number you are calling from (if it has not already been recognised). The system will then continue as normal asking for your details such as vehicle registration, location code and payment card information, in order to park. Landline numbers can also be registered online at https://myringgo.co.uk/register or on the free RingGo smartphone apps https://myringgo.co.uk/apps

Why did I pay more that the charge shown on the tariff board?

A mandatory convenience charge of 20 pence per transaction is payable in addition to the parking tariff.

 

Call charges are at the standard rate agreed with your mobile phone service provider. Confirmation and reminder SMS messages are optional and a 10p charge applies to each of these. You can opt in or out through the parking notifications tab in your RingGo account.

What is a convenience fee?

RingGo is a cashless parking service which allows users to pay parking charges either by phone, text, web, in-car device or app. In some cases, parking operators may take a commercial decision to charge users fees for using the RingGo service, rather than assimilate the fees themselves. These fees are collected through the RingGo service as convenience charges. The position of both RingGo and the Authority is that the convenience fees are not prohibited surcharges under the Surcharge Regulations.

Guidance on the Surcharge Regulations was issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in June 2018 (the BEIS Guidance). This describes surcharging as the practice of merchants/retailers, charging a fee for using a particular payment instrument, e.g. credit card, debit card or e-money account. Further, the BEIS Guidance also provides that for most retail payments, the Surcharge Regulations ban merchants from charging a fee in addition to the advertised price of a transaction based on a consumer’s choice of payment instrument (for example, credit card, debit card or e-money). The guidance makes clear that the intention of the Surcharge Regulations is to prevent charges being applied based on a consumer’s choice of payment instrument.

The RingGo service offers users the option to pay via credit or debit card. The convenience fee is a flat fee regardless of which of these payment instruments is selected. Accordingly, the convenience fee is not charged on the basis of the specific means of payment.

The Park is leased to Bean Parish Council by the land owners Tarmac Cement Ltd and is managed on a day-day-basis by volunteers, The Friends of Beacon Wood.

Ever since the Country Park was first opened to the public on

25th May 1992, we have asked visitors to pay for parking, which for many years has remained at £1. The income from the parking is used solely for the maintenance and upkeep of the Country Park and is the only source of income for the Country Park. Neither Tarmac Cement Limited or Bean Parish Council receive any income from the car parking fees.

Although we are extremely grateful to those visitors who are happy to pay the voluntary cash parking charge, sadly, in recent years more and more visitors are not contributing. When challenged the responses range from ‘I don’t carry cash anymore’ to ‘Why should I pay? It’s voluntary and I don’t want to pay’.

Hopefully this new arrangement will enable visitors to contribute to this valuable local resource in a convenient and simple way.