Costs dispute behind beauty spot car park decision

National park chiefs said they surrendered the lease on a beauty spot car park three years early after "it became clear the landlord would not be contributing" to the cost of resurfacing works.

The Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) had an agreement to operate the facility opposite the Kirkstone Pass Inn - Cumbria's highest pub - until 2029 and the site was traditionally free to use.

However, the arrangement was brought to an end in June and parking charges were subsequently introduced by owner Jerry Huppert.

The businessman said the LDNPA had been responsible for maintenance costs and was not "able to deal with [its] responsiblities".

His introduction of parking fees last month brought a backlash with film-maker Terry Abraham, who visits the inn regularly, calling it a "money-grabbing exercise".

Huppert, a partner in a company trading as Supreme Escapes, bought the car park located between Ambleside and Patterdale in 2021, as well as the pub across the road and the adjoining buildings he now operates as holiday lets.

He denied exploiting car park users, saying the move would help avoid having to raise the prices for guests at the lets or increasing the rent charged to the local brewery running the inn.

It had initially been thought the car park was still leased to the LDNPA on a peppercorn rent, but the organisation confirmed it was no longer involved "in its upkeep or management".

In a further statement clarifying events that led to that decision, a spokeswoman said "the site required resurfacing works, which it became clear the landlord would not be contributing to".

In addition, she said legal reasons - understood by the BBC to be lease terms agreed with Huppert - meant the LDNPA could not charge for parking, "which meant that enforcement activity was severely hampered making it difficult to ensure responsible usage".

"As a result, the lease for the site was handed back early," she said.

Huppert said he first notified the LDNPA in 2022 or 2023 that it would need to carry out resurfacing works. He estimates they could cost about £40,000.

"In the lease, it was for them to do all the works on the site and make sure at all times it was fit for purpose," he said.

"The car park wasn't meant to be for any overnight stays either [so] whenever they were not kicking off caravans and people parking overnight, they were breaching the lease."

Huppert said he had requested the LDNPA "send up traffic wardens" to issue tickets, but was told the organisation's resources were stretched and that it could only cover the costs of enforcement by starting to charge for parking.

"They needed our consent [to charge] or it would've been a breach of the lease," Huppert said.

"We said, 'well if we give you consent to charge then we might as well do it ourselves'."

Huppert said the LDNPA had also been reluctant to spend thousands on the resurfacing as Supreme Escapes did not want to extend the lease beyond 2029 in any event.

Asked whether he would now carry out the work, Huppert said it "depends on how much money we have in the pot - sometimes you have to save up a little bit before you do something".

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