New Forest National Park plan for park and ride

The plan contained no further details about the park and ride scheme but said specific proposals would be consulted on with local communities and authorities

A park and ride scheme is among a number of proposals being considered in a bid to reduce the number of New Forest visitors using cars.

The New Forest National Park Authority (NFNPA) wants to explore "sustainable transport options" to reduce the number of car visits by 675,000 annually.

It is estimated about 13.5m people visit the forest annually, 96% of whom travel by car, the authority said.

The latest partnership plan has yet to be endorsed by the Forestry Commission.

The authority was forced to back down over an earlier plan, published in 2009, after a public outcry ..

Its original proposals for 2010-2015 included a ban on dogs in some car parks and stricter regulations on horse keepers.

'Seasonal bus services'

Under the new plans, the NFNPA aims to reduce private car use by 5%, equating to an estimated 675,000 fewer car visits.

The report, which was written in partnership with local councils and other organisations, says it hopes to improve sustainable transport options such as seasonal bus services, rail links, and walking and cycling routes.

It also says park bosses want to "investigate the possibility of park and ride".

The partnership plan from the NFNPA is an update on the management plan which covered the park from 2010-2015

'Monitor cycle charter'

The effectiveness of a cycle charter, introduced recently in response to fears of growing "anti-cycling" sentiment in the area, will also be monitored, the report said.

"The increase in large-scale organised cycling events over the last few years has resulted in considerable public concern locally," it said.

"The effectiveness of the charter will be monitored to assess if there is a need for any further controls in the future."

A final draft of the update has already been approved by New Forest District Council and the Verderers of the New Forest.

After it has been endorsed by the Forestry Commission and other agencies it will be published on the NFNPA website.