Drivers hit as councils are set to hike car parking charges

‘Cash cow’ drivers hit as councils are set to hike car parking charges by as much as double in what critics say is an unfair plan to plug funding gaps by targeting motorists

• Some councils will up fees by 10 per cent while others are hiking prices by 100 
• Plymouth, Norwich and Leicester Councils among those increasing their fines 
• Councils also bringing in fees for sites that used to be free and extending hours  

Councils are set to hike – and in some cases double – charges for car parking in what critics say is an unfair plan to plug funding gaps by targeting motorists.

Local authorities already pull in more than £1.8 million a year from drivers who pay to leave their vehicles in tens of thousands of council car parks and on streets across the country. Now rising fees, timed to coincide with next month’s council tax increases, will put further pressure on cash-strapped motorists.

For some, there will be a ten per cent rise in parking costs. But in other areas, such as Leicester, drivers are facing a 100 per cent leap in the price per hour, from £1 to £2.

Other councils ratcheting up their fees include Plymouth (from £1.50 to £2 an hour) and Norwich, where parking for five hours has gone up from £6 to £10.

Woking council increased its prices on February 6 – by up to 25 per cent – while people parking in Kent, Cornwall, Yorkshire, Rutland and most areas in London face paying more too.

And that’s not all. As well as escalating their parking rates, councils are bringing in fees for sites that used to be free and extending the hours they charge for. Hertfordshire, for example, is scrapping its free parking on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

Local authorities already pull in more than £1.8 million a year from drivers who pay to leave their vehicles in tens of thousands of council car parks and on streets across the countr

Motoring groups warn that the rises unfairly target people who aren’t able to switch to expensive and unreliable public transport. They also point out that the new policies could be a further blow for struggling town centres.

Simon Williams of the RAC said last night: ‘People need to use their cars to go into town to shop, bank, go to the post office and socialise. For many, public transport is not convenient, affordable or practical.’

He added: ‘And of course, it is not just motorists who are affected. Shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs in areas with high parking charges are affected too. They will lose custom. People may pick a retail park instead, or another town that is cheaper to park in. Or they will shop online.

‘We are going to end up with empty car parks – and they will make no money at all.’

Brian MacDowall, a director of the Alliance of British Drivers, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Once again, motorists are the easy targets – cash cows for town hall bosses to help plug deficits.

‘Councillors complain about a lack of footfall yet they are increasing parking by much more than the rate of inflation – further putting people off. Rises should be fair and proportional, not inflation-busting.’

Meanwhile, councils acknowledge that they need more money to cover shortfalls.

A spokesman for the Local Government Association, which represents more than 350 councils across England and Wales, said: ‘The cost of providing public services has dramatically increased with rapidly rising inflation. Many councils face significant challenges and difficult decisions when setting their budgets and trying to protect services from cutbacks next year.’

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