Plans for mobile cafes in the New Forest are a “recipe for disaster”, Forestry England has been warned.
Hampshire National Park Commoners say families queuing for cakes and hot drinks will be at risk of pony attacks and this should not be disregarded for “quick monetary gains”.
Forestry England wants to extend the remit of food vans to include the sale of hot drinks and snacks in what they call a “real improvement and modernisation in quality” of catering.
In an “unusual” step, Andrew Parry-Norton, the Commoners Defence Association chairman, urged the verderers – an ancient body responsible for the upkeep of the forest – to block the plan.
Speaking at this month’s court session, he said: “All organisations in the Forest are financially struggling and looking to bolster loss of government income… but we must be respectful of the environment we have inherited.
“Quick monetary gains, at others expense and risk is unacceptable. The proposed selling of food such as sandwiches and cakes, licensed by Forestry England in the car parks, could be a recipe for disaster.
“Commoners’ stock interacting with visitors is already a major concern, adding families queuing, then eating cakes and sandwiches, will draw ponies into conflict with the visitors.
“Pigs will quickly learn to use this new food source, which is unlawful and can have serious disease consequences.”
He added: “Small-established responsible food outlets in our towns and villages serve the visitors very well, we do not need any more in the car parks.
“The Commoner’s Defence has every sympathy with Forestry England’s financial worries but putting the public at physical risk and the Commoners facing further potential litigation is not acceptable.
“The Forest needs to be correctly funded and that responsibility lies with Defra and the Government, let’s not create problems for each other by trying to achieve very quick small monetary gains.”
Speaking afterwards, Mr Parry-Norton, 55 – a farmer who has lived in the New Forest his whole life – said it was the potential suing of animal owners that worried him.
“At the end of the day, if anything goes wrong it’s the Commoners’ liability, not the land owners or Forestry England,” he said. “If a child gets kicked it’s a lot of money.”
Forestry England said there were “no plans” for burger vans or allowing the sale of hot or cold sandwiches.
A spokesman said: “The key update at these locations is the provision of hot drinks and a limited selection of unwrapped cakes or pastries only.
“The five locations have been carefully chosen as busy day visitor sites in more robust locations that already support high numbers of visitors helping to avoid and reduce impacts on more sensitive locations.
“Other considerations in choosing these locations have included the ability to use existing infrastructure to avoid impacts on grazing, and to remove interaction risk with free roaming animals by locating sites within existing fenced areas where possible.”
The verderers will wait a month to make a decision, giving time for potential counter-presentations.
