bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-b...
I can't believe that they could agree to this. It is an outrage.
I would say charge the personal trainers who bring their customers every day and make money from it not the organisation that only tries to help people keep fit for free.
Disgraceful decision. I cannot understand the rationale behind it. Spite, I fear.
People who live in glass houses:
dailymail.co.uk/news/articl...
Perhaps if they didn't claim so much, they wouldn't have to think about charging ?
I think that's called fraud isn't it?
So right Hussain
Shocking! Just so disappointing. Glad the organisers are moving elsewhere - Parkrun must always be free.
Those running have already paid for the upkeep of the park through their council tax. To charge them twice is disgraceful!
Read about formula e in battersea park. It is a disgrace. savebatterseapark.com
Are they going to start charging dog walkers and pram pushers too?
Terrible decision - wondering how many other councils will now think of doing the same?
I can understand cash strapped councils grabbing any money that they can, but it seems like another examp!e of politicians lacking any long term vision. I doubt that any of them can have witnessed the parkrun at first hand. My local run has working parties to help maintain areas of high wear.
It might even look like a capitalist conspiracy to undermine such an egalitarian movement. Paranoid............me!!!!!!!!?
Not paranoid IanodaTruffe, realistic. What on earth is a public park meant for if not helping to improve the wellbeing of the local population for free?
If this was April 1st then I would not have been surprised.
I'm sure that having ParkRun in their area has a financial benefit to their health service through healthier citizens. I guess the problem is that it's not money from the same adminastrative pot.
Too many people using the public park for healthy exercise, what a terrible problem. Better stamp that one out then !
It's a real shame. It's a public park and are not the very people who do the park run members of the public who already pay their council tax? Why should you pay twice for the same facility? If they introduced a parking fee for use of the car park that would, in my mind, be more acceptable is it wouldn't just be penalising one group of people. (Not something I advocate though as there are more and more people who can afford less and less.) If they charge per person that could discourage family groups too.
A sad day indeed
Outraged at this news thismorning.. 
How about charging dog owners walking their dogs twice a day. Now that is 6 legs altogether !
How about charging men more because they are deemed to be heavier !
How about charging young children as they skip back and forth: a lot of steps !
Crazy really and very narrow minded I am sure. Those people should not be in the position they are holding.
It will backfire on the council because that Parkrun will close and no one will benefit. I hope the Stoke Gifford parkrunners find a new home and that the publicity is such that no other cash strapped council decides to try the same thing.
A decision that has certainly backfired. It costs the council nothing for a parkrun event they were just hoping to extract money from the event instead in the true spirit of free parkruns it will close down. In contrast my local council is now looking to setup a second parkrun event in the borough due to the increasing popularity of the existing one which is getting close to the maximum number of runners it can accommodate.
Without users, what's the point of a park?
Perhaps if folks stop using parks, because of charging, council can say they're not required and put houses on em!
What about charging people for sitting on a bench? Or charging dog walkers en masse because of the costs to clear up after the irresponsible few. I could go on for ever .......
It just totally misses the point of community, health and well being achieved for minimal cost and effort. Totally illogical.
The best outcome of this would be that the local people vote out these imbiciles.
Seems crazy to me, and also very sad
Park run were never going to pay so there was never anything to gain financially from this decision, just that fewer people will use the park which will save them nothing
I too hope their electorate vote them out and new counsellors will reverse the decision
I believe councils have a duty to ensure/help their residents have a healthy lifestyle and Parkrun is one of the best ways of encouraging a healthy attitude as it is open to all, free and as we all know very friendly and encouraging for all abilities. So I hope someone challenges Stoke Gifford council and that they see sense and reverse this spiteful decision.
At my parkrun the bulk of the participants and volunteers that have to travel to the event use and pay at the public car park as the free one at the park is for the football clubs who do pay to use the park and we all respect that. So if my council tried to charge at our Parkrun event the council would lose a serious amount of funds from the car park charges if we moved elsewhere.
My local PR charges £2 for parking and runners usually stay for a coffee afterwards, perhaps putting more into the coffers than other users...as Hilly says, paying for parking would be one way, and perhaps fairer.
A Parkrun practice!
Setting a 'Parkrun' backstop
What stage to start a Parkrun?
Run of shame.
Walk of shame W7R1
