In 2024 the South West Lakes Trust (SWLT) decided to outsource control of the parking at Siblyback Lake to Smart Parking Limited.
There is now an ANPR camera at the lake that reads your number plate and records the time you arrive and leave.
The parking terms are displayed on signs and you must comply with them and buy a ticket or face a penalty of £100.
It is a great shame that SWLT have taken this decision. A lot of people visit the countryside to get away from the stresses of everyday life and now they are faced with having to run the gauntlet of a parking management company, many of whom are regarded as quite nasty.
Be prepared
If you don't have the Ringo app and want to use it to pay, install it before you go there. When you arrive at the lake be sure to pay for your parking within ten minutes. This can be difficult using your phone as signal at Siblyback is limited on some networks. There is a free WiFi there but by the time you've signed in the ten minutes will be ticking away. You can pay at the machine. Be sure to enter your registration correctly. Do not overstay the time you have paid for as you will receive a Penalty Charge Notice.
Why are the signs so high?
The small signs which contain all the contractual terms for the parking are eleven feet above the ground. This makes them virtually impossible to read. Why did they install them like that? Is it so more people end up getting fined?