I am beyond disappointed with my recent experience at Dinton Pastures Country Park, which was utterly ruined by the callous and money-grabbing attitude of Wokingham Borough Council. After a wonderful day outdoors, my family was subjected to a heartless penalty for a mere 24-minute overstay beyond our paid 3-hour parking session. The reason for this overstay? An unforeseen medical emergency involving our young son, who suffers from a condition that caused an uncontrollable nosebleed. Despite providing clear evidence and explaining the situation, the council coldly rejected our appeal and forced us to pay a hefty fine, or risk having the amount doubled.

This is the same council that locks the gates at exactly 5 PM, stranding visitors who may be enjoying the park, and then demands an outrageous £115 per vehicle to reopen them. It’s clear that Wokingham Borough Council is more interested in extracting money from its visitors than in promoting exercise and outdoor activities.

If the council put even half the effort into encouraging healthy lifestyles and outdoor recreation as they do in squeezing every penny out of people, they might see a significant reduction in their adults' social care bill. But instead, they choose to nickel and dime families who are simply trying to enjoy a day out.

I will never return to Dinton Pastures and strongly advise others to avoid it as well. There are plenty of other parks where visitors are treated with respect and fairness, rather than as cash cows for a greedy council. Save yourself the frustration and go elsewhere.