Mobile car park ticket trial heads to the hills

SIX countryside locations are hosting a trial parking scheme.

The National Trust will be trying out Pay By Mobile Phone throughout the Surrey Hills.

The scheme includes car parks at Box Hill, the Devil's Punch Bowl, Denbies Hillside and Headley Heath, where car parking charges are currently in place.

The trial will also introduce parking charges at the Stepping Stones, Bookham Common Tunnel and Margery Woods, where visitors will only be able to pay by phone.

The National Trust wants to get an insight into how customers would feel paying by phone.

National Trust members and volunteers will continue to park for free while visitors will pay £3 a day at Box Hill and £2 or £2.50 a day at all other sites.

The scheme works by dialling a number given in the car park, quoting your car's registration number and the location number on the signs in the car park, and keying in credit or debit card details.

Tickets do not need to be displayed and instead a record is created for the car park staff so they know who has paid.