A village pub has been criticised for forcing customers to pay to use its car park.
The Queen’s Head in Burley, the New Forest has abandoned free parking, instead charging customers £5 to park between 8am and 6pm.
Picturesque Burley is a major tourist hot-spot, with huge crowds descending on the village in the summer. According to a pub spokesman, the decision to introduce charges was made after staff noticed people taking advantage of free parking outside the 17th-century inn rather than using the nearby council-owned car park.
A Queen’s Head spokesman told the Daily Echo: “Burley residents and visitors will know that parking is tricky in the area.
“To ensure our customers are able to benefit from our car park when they visit us, we have introduced a parking system in partnership with Britannia Parking.”
Under the system customers will be charged 80p for one hour and £5 for the day.
The Queen's Head added that customers will be able to redeem the cost of parking against food and drink bought at the pub when their bill totals more than the price of their ticket.
Some residents, however, have criticised the charges. Burley local, Richard Grant, said previous landlords had allowed people to park at the pub to run errands.
Mr Grant told the Daily Echo: “Personally, I feel it’s most off-putting and gives the wrong impression.”
Last year a pub in Nottingham came under fire from parents after it charged them to use its car park during the school run, the Nottingham Post reports.
The Longbow, in Calverton Road, introduced a 50p pick-up and drop-off fee for people taking children to the Primary school and nursery next door.
The Independent has contacted the Queen’s Head for comment.
