A CONTROVERSIAL new plan to make parents pay to use the picnic area and the playground at The Look Out will not be dropped despite a backlash from residents.

The Discovery Centre announced the £10 charge late last week as it opened up slots for groups to book their space for a ‘short stay and play’.

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The booking — which comes an extra £1.14 charge in booking fees from Eventbrite — means groups get £10 credit to spend at the takeaway coffee shop during their allocated 1.5-hour visit.

Securing a slot also means visitors get a reserved parking space and an allocated picnic bench.

But these perks did not stop dozens from questioning the new charges.

Gillian Anne Rose told the News: “As a parent who cycles to the lookout and has a young child who needs supervising on the equipment, I don't need the reserved parking place nor picnic bench.

“I also do not spend £10 in the cafe when I visit. I would have hoped that over the last six months they could have come up with a sensible suggestion on how they could re-open!”

She added: “It seems contradictory to the government drive to improve the physical and mental well-being of children to then charge for a play park.”

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Several other residents left comments underneath a Facebook post announcing the charges by The Look Out, with the trial scheme being labelled a “money-making exercise”, “ridiculous”, “absolutely horrendous” and more.

A few residents did back the idea, suggesting it was a “great” and “brilliant” way of limiting numbers and preventing overcrowding at the Discovery Centre.

Bracknell News:

The News asked Bracknell Forest Council if was planning to drop the scheme following residents’ reaction, but a spokesperson said they will continue to run the booking system as planned.

Councillor John Harrison, BFC’s culture boss, added: “The Look Out is a popular attraction for residents and visitors, so in order to be able to re-open as safely as possible, which means managing visitor numbers and complying with social distancing guidance, we have launched a play area booking system and coffee shop takeaway service on a trial basis.

"Those wishing to use the play area must book a space in advance.

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“The booking guarantees you a one hour visit to the play area, a reserved parking space, allocated picnic bench and £10 credit in the cafe for light refreshments during your visit.

“Car parking fees apply as normal. By using this approach, we can ensure safety in numbers and that people will actually turn up for their session and not leave space that could have been booked by others.

"Alternatively, visitors can still enjoy the rest of the forest and coffee shop takeaway service without the need to pre-book."