Consultation on parking charge increases opens

A consultation has opened into plans to increase parking charges and extend charging hours in a councils car parks.

Wiltshire Council wants to align Sunday parking charges with weekdays and increase tariffs by an average of 20% in 2026, followed by a 5% rise in 2028.

The proposals had already caused concern for residents, particularly with churchgoers and people in Salisbury, the most expensive place to park in the county.

Leader of Wiltshire Council, councillor Ian Thorn, said "the reality is that our costs increase" and money from parking goes towards public transport.

Thorn said he was "expecting a record response" and was keen to hear what people think.

"Those thoughts and views will be taken on board," he added.

The council said feedback would be "carefully reviewed" before any decision was made and the plans could be subject to change depending on the consultation.

The council said despite inflation, parking charges had not changed at any of it's car parks since 2022.

As well as a rise in cost, charges would apply between 07:00 until 19:00 rather than the current 08:00 until 18:00.

Sunday charges would be the same as the rest of the week and the on-street charging in Salisbury would apply on Sundays too.

Season ticket and permit fees would also go up in line with the tariffs.

Some churchgoers in Salisbury had previously said the fees may put off people attending services, as parking on a Sunday morning could go from the £1.90 all-day flat rate to a fee of approximately £5.90 for three hours.

Congregation member, Sue Gilbert said: "It's as though we are being charged to pray".

Salisbury's car parks are more costly than others in Wiltshire, something Thorn said was a "long-standing issue".

He said it was a "question of fairness" and the council needs to look at ways to address the issue.

Councillor Tamara Reay, former cabinet member for transport, who represents Devizes, said she had already received feedback from concerned businesses.

"We need to really think about these increases to charges and not just from a transport perspective."

"Our high streets are really suffering," she added.

The consultation is open until 5 May, with residents able to contact the council via email, letter or an online form.

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