New Forest District Council is expected to introduce Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) covering much of the national park on 1 July. Anyone breaching a PSPO can be handed a Fixed Penalty Notice of up to £100 or fined up to £1,000 if the case goes to Southampton Magistrates’ Court.
The decision by the district council comes as Forestry England previously reported barbecues and campfires were “happening continuously and repeatedly” in the New Forest. It also said that feeding and petting of the forest’s free-roaming livestock was “extremely detrimental” to the animals’ welfare. It said the new formal enforcement would be used “proportionately”, with signage set to be in place.
A public consultation on the new PSPOs was carried out at the end of 2022 and found that more than 90% of the participants were in favour of the measures.
Previously:
25 February 2021
New Forest ponies have been grazing freely in the New Forest since rights of common pasture were granted to the area’s inhabitants in the 11th Century.
Visitors to the New Forest have been warned about the dangers of feeding animals following the death of a pony who died choking on carrots. The animal was found in distress near Beaulieu, Hampshire, suffered damage to its throat.
Commoner Erika Dovey, who is also a ranger for the National Park Authority, said she found the animal choking and frothing from the mouth. “The ponies in the forest have a natural diet and they graze on everything in the New Forest, so they’re not used to having those large, hard vegetables,” she said. It was later seen by a vet, before its owner decided to put it to sleep as it could not eat properly.
Speaking about the consequences of visitors offering them food, Ms Dovey added: “They start hanging around the roads and car parks, and that leads to a lot more road traffic accidents which results in deaths. We’re trying to help educate people why the act of kindness isn’t kind, ultimately, it’s like a death sentence.”
It comes after the issue was raised last month at the Court of Verderers - the authority responsible for regulating commoning within the New Forest. A commoner told the court since the summer lockdown last year sparked an increase in visitors, pony groups have learnt to gather around the cars for constant petting and feeding.
Jacqui Vanderhoek said: “This year I turned up at Cadnam Cricket Ground to witness a Shetland with front feet inside the camper van for photographic purposes, encouraged with food. When discussing such issue with the public their response is always ‘there are no signs’.”
The court said additional signage and initiatives to address the problem will be discussed.
So, good for the council … 
They will be saving the forest from fire and the ponies from death.
