Dorset residents are being asked for their views on a new parking permit.
The permits would provide a money-saving, convenient and cash-free way to park in Dorset Council-owned car parks around the county.
Residents in the former West Dorset District Council area have been able to purchase permits for several years. All Dorset residents are now being asked if this should be extended across the Dorset Council area, or if the existing scheme should be brought to a close.
It is estimated the cost to Dorset Council for the permits would be at least £50,000 per year (administration and reduced parking revenue). However, with many town centres struggling due to COVID-19, the introduction of shopper’s permits could encourage people to visit their local towns more frequently.
Councillor Ray Bryan, Dorset Council Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said: “Western Dorset residents been able to purchase shoppers permits for several years, and we are asking people across the county if this is something they’d also like to benefit from.
“Offering residents a convenient and cost-saving way to park would encourage them to shop locally, supporting businesses and breathing life back into our high streets at a time when many shops are struggling.
“However, it could have a financial impact on the council through reduced revenue and administration charges, and we want to know how people feel about this too. Please give us your thoughts by taking part in the consultation.”
The current Shopper’s Permit is a cardboard disk which is displayed in vehicle windscreens. The new permit may be virtual where the registration number allows access for a set period in short stay car parks.
The consultation runs from 30 October to midnight on 6 December 2020. It will take approximately 5 minutes to complete. Take part in the consultation here.
Paper copies of the survey will be available in Dorset libraries from early November. Please phone ahead before visiting or check here for opening times.
Shopper’s parking permit holders in the former West Dorset District Council area currently get 2 hours’ parking per day (or 3 hours if a disabled badge is also displayed), 7 days a week. At extra cost to the purchaser, the permit can be used in a second vehicle but not on the same day. The consultation asks if shoppers would like the permit to allow them to park for more than 2 hours. If a decision is made to stop the scheme, the western Dorset permits will remain valid until their expiry date.
PLEASE NOTE: Feel free to leave your comments below, but only feedback provided via the online form will be included within the consultation. If you want to have your say, please fill out the form – thank you.
Save administration costs of another scheme. Cancel price increases and do not the extend the fee applicable hours to 2000 hrs and Sundays. Don’t be so pompous by saying things like “we dont have to consult on this, so we wont” atrocious comments from public servants
This increase to car parking fees if it goes ahead will reduce the number of people coming into all the local shops
which during these time of large shops shutting down this will just add to this and towns ending up like ghost towns.
So please please don’t do it.
It seems unnecessary to me. I have never heard anyone saying parking charges are a deterrent in Blandford of Sturminster znewton our local towns.
perhaps you don’t pay £2.50 for two hours
In Blandford I have a choice at shopping at Morrisons, TESCO, Marks & Spencers and Lidl or in the town center.
I chose to shop at TESCO or Lidl as the parking is free.
The Morrison and M&S Car park was created using rate payers money and the council choses to make the rate payer pay twice for parking their cars.
Once to build the car park secondly to park their cars in the car park.
All car parks should be free,
Next the Council will be charging the rate payer for driving on the road.
Spot on. Dorset County Council seems determined to drive shoppers to out of town shopping centres or to Amazon. Is it any wonder town centres are dying?
Extend it county wide
Didn’t know about the existing scheme
I live in Owermoigne
How much if I qualify is a permit presently?
We have used the West Dorset shoppers pass for many years, your description suggested that it was a fairly recent event
The pass is easy to use and encourages us to shop locally, there is no equivalent in Weymouth and consequently we rarely go there.
We understand as well that Weymouth deliberately imposes high charges for maximum income.
Local shops need every encouragement for shoppers to use them.
Finding change or worse having to use the dreadful designed parking pay machine would stop us shopping so often. How anyone could have signed off those is a mystery to me. My history in software spans many years so I understand computers!
To save town centres parking must be encouraged, more parking must be provided.
I did complete this but no acknowledgement so doing it again.
I had the shoppers permit whilst living in Dorchester, but since in Weymouth, no permit yet very high parking charges. I am an OAP have poor mobility so need to drive into town. I find £2.50 for two hours is outrageous. Also pay machine yet again was not functioning so had a long walk to find another. This is not satisfactory. Many older people do not have an iphone or even carry any phone to try and fathom out how to pay cashless. this needs addressing.
YES we do need a shoppers permit and it should cover the whole of Dorset Council and should not be exhorbitant .
Next, how dare one man at the Council thinks he has the right to put up parking charges and to INCREASE THE TIME OF PAYING TO 8pm. this is scandalous. YOU the Council tell us to support the local shops, hostileries etc. NO this will push more people to get in their cars and drive out of town where parking is free. stop persecuting LOCAL people with unreasonable parking charges and introduce the shopping permit now.
Why not set up 15 minute free parking so people could park to access a shop to collect an item or to make a one shop purchase or a quick bank visit?
Lets hope this is my shop,
I think a longer free parking period would be acceptable, supermarkets have free parking for upto 2 hours. This is gladly accepted by their shoppers. if supermarkets charged for parking l believe we would still pay.
I think that longer than 15 minutes would be needed to visit most banks as they restrict the number of people in the branch at one time. One often sees queues of people waiting outside banks. On top of this is the time to walk from the car park to the bank and back again.
No thank you, we already pay £1 minimum for parking in Broadstone when the average time spent there is 20mins per person.
The ridiculous situation in the toast rack causes complete gridlock through the main road.
The lack of parking for places like the nursing home causes cars along roads from end to end.
The council should try dealing with current problems for a change before trying yet another scheme!
Not needed in Sherborne, as can park for free in Waitrose’ own car park, and Sainsbury’s car park, if one spends £5 . There are also quite a few free street spaces . If I go to other towns I don’t mind paying a reasonable fee to park. Just don’t increase the charge.
I have had a shoppers permit for the last 2 years and I think it’s totally brilliant, aswell as encouraging us to shop in Dorchester, it is really handy not to have to find change in the car park and useful not to have to find the metre when out and about with young children.
Great idea – it must help local businesses
Do it.
The shopper’s permit is extremely useful and excellent value. It makes parking so easy and I think the rest of the county should definitely have them.
I have discovered during shutdown, shopping online saves a lot of money. I don’t need to have the worry or expense of parking and shopping locally. The council will lose income from business rates on shops and parking. If parking was free, I would probably enjoy getting out of the house. It is up to the council to make shopping a more enjoyable experience because things have changed and will not return to the good old days. Life moves on – the council needs to as well.
You sound pleased of your online discovery,we do not wish to go online we love making Weymouth vibrant and colourful… Live shopping is great, people touch and feel goods and smell the sea air. Especially summer times with great Weymouth shopping streets… I do not wish to go online so someone can shop in bed at midnight then I must trot off to the post office so that 3 days later big excitement created by the postman arriving with their new purchase.
1 hour free parking is available at many locations around the town get out more have fun.
anything to encourage locals to shop local by helping reduced parking fees is to be welcomed. I live in Bridport and pay for a shoppers permit, but would welcome more time to park and maybe multiple use per day as sometimes shopping “happens” in more than one trip.
You give no clue as to. How much a permit costs. This may have relevance on whether it is worth even considering purchasing, especially in present circumstances when many are rarely going out.
Also, how much of a dent in the grand scheme of finances this has on other essential services. ?
I am a Weymouth resident. I think a FREE parking permit for locals would be a better idea, as we already pay the highest council tax bills in the UK. The revenue from tourist parking should more than cover the cost. Let’s see locals benefit for a change!
A permit to cover parking in all truly local car parks would be a good thing. But living in Weymouth ‘local’ means Weymouth, Portland and Dorchester. Trips further afield are very rare and therefore a Dorset wide permit would be of no use to me.
This also seems to be a huge administrative and policing undertaking that I and other council tax payers would have to pay for.
So on balance I think it would be a terrible and costly mistake. I just hope it isn’t somebody’s pet project and gets pushed through at all cost.
We travel to Dorchester weekly to shop from north Dorset. We pay for three hours parking, which also gives us the opportunity to have lunch.
If the new scheme was restricted to 2 hours it would preclude us from having time to support local businesses.
I wasn’t aware of the shopper’s permit. Must be very useful for parents collecting children from school and popping to Boots or wherever. I speak from experience, often something needed from one of the shops.
What I do miss is 20 mins free parking, to go to the bank or PO. The ‘layby’ parking strip by Waitrose carpark in particular.
The scheme depends on the cost. This survey is useless unless it contains all the information.
Of course we would welcome a shoppers permit for those of us living in rural areas where we have to drive but at what cost ?(we have just googled West Dorset permits and found they pay £16. for 6mths. Should we have to do this when it could have been included in the facts This will probably be increased when it is rolled out across the County) It should include all cars registered at a residence owned by council tax payers as we have no public transport and few benefits, compared to town dwellers, yet we pay disproportionately high Council Tax for the benefits we receive.
The current system works well for me, and I would favour it staying as it is.
Yes this would help me shop locally and use the smaller shops, great idea, perhaps admin costs could be calculate in the fee.
Please do not bring in charges for Sunday parking!
How muc h is it and how long is it valid. Without this information it is impossible to make any meaningful comment.
If residents were allowed to make use of the car parks for a yearly fee, the streets would be free to park in for transient shoppers who could come into Weymouth and easily find a place to temporarily park, perhaps raising the time allocated to 2 hours instead of the one.
It is very frustrating for residents driving round and round our allotted zones, clogging up the roads looking for a space, whilst the car parks in the winter months are practically empty. It feels mean.
I would certainly benefit from this permit, I live in Kingston and shop in Swanage, also go to Swanage for surgery appointments.Because of COVID I don’t stay long in the town so I find the best car park is The Co.op but the fees are 1.20 per hour. I can get this back by spending £10.00 this restricts my shopping to the Co.op when I like to buy from other shops in town as well! I try to limit my time in Swanage to avoid the holiday people but I sometimes have to add that parking cost to the small amount of shopping I need.
I think it a good move to encourage local people .
You have not included the mechanism or cost or access or duration of the scheme so it is difficult to comment further. The 50,000 could be easily recouped by buying simpler and less confusing parking meters!
Retain the West Dorset Shoppers Permit in its current form. 98%+ of our parking is the the area covered by this permit and we seldom need to park in other areas of Dorset so the addition cost would far outweigh the benefits. “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”
Retain the West Dorset Shoppers Permit in its current form. 98%+ of our parking is the the area covered by this permit and we seldom need to park in other areas of Dorset so the additional cost would far outweigh the benefits. “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”
A permit including West bay would be good
I’m a West Dorset resident and have used a Shoppers parking permit for a long time.
This was only used in Dorchester, Bridport and Lyme Regis. we did our shopping in Dorchester and visited the other West Dorset Towns for Recreation.
We actually live in Preston and we did very little shopping in Weymouth as they high parking charges compared with the other West Dorset Towns.
My opinion is that having a yearly parking permit is a good idea and helps to attract shoppers and recreational visitors.
The permit is only valid for 2 hours so it’s not a big loss to Dorset Council.
I’m a West Dorset resident and have used a Shoppers parking permit for a long time.
This was only used in Dorchester, Bridport and Lyme Regis. we did our shopping in Dorchester and visited the other West Dorset Towns for Recreation.
We actually live in Preston and we did very little shopping in Weymouth as they high parking charges compared with the other West Dorset Towns.
My opinion is that having a yearly parking permit is a good idea and helps to attract shoppers and recreational visitors.
The permit is only valid for 2 hours so it’s not a big loss to Dorset Council.
I live in Beaminster and have bought a parking permit for many years and find it very useful, also very reasonably priced. This year I purchased the £32.00 and have used it in Dorchester, West Bay an Lyme Regis as well as my home town of Beaminster. Please continue annual parking permits. Thank you.
I am happy to pay for the occasional hour when I use a DCC car park. I don’t need a permit which would put an extra burden on the rates!
3 hours would be good. Not liking the idea of virtual much. Printing the carparks you can park in on the back would be very helpful.
The shoppers permit are great I have had one for many years I think that it would be great if the scheme was extended throughout the district
A convenient and cost effective solution is needed if our town centres and shopping is to survive .
A good idea. I live in Sherborne and have had a Shoppers parking permit
since living here .
We usualy have 2 wddc permits one for each car and find that £16. for 6 months is good It also means you don’t have to stand in the rain trying to remember the registration number and making sure you have change in the car. If you need more than the 2hour (vary rarely) you purchase a ticket and then start you clock from the time your ticket ends. At present we don’t have permits as they ran out in June a due to the virous we find we are as everyone else not going to town for fun and don’t need one. But as soon as we can go out again we will defiantly be purchasing.
What about people living in their vehicles neither paying for parking nor council tax yet using residents bins and doorways etc for their personal use?
Like others who have previously commented, I need further information before I can make a considered decision. What about some idea of cost and how much parking time a permit will buy?
Judging by comments made by previous contributors there are strong feelings against high car parking charges and the preference for parking and then shopping at supermarket with free carparks. How can this possibly help support for local businesses!
I am sure all retail town business will be facing the most difficult time in the history of their business over the next couple of years.
Before we loose our town shopping as we have known it, perhaps our town council should explore other ways to bring in their revenue, and remove all parking charges ! Before it’s to late!
It seems that all those who have had a permit say it is a good idea so rolling out across Dorset would seem reasonable as long as he charges remain same / very similar. Also seems to be a desire to extend to 3 hours to allow for lunch or coffee, which seems reasonable and would assist these already badly affected businesses. This definitely seems to favour local shops and shopping, which is vital now in this Covid affected age and should be encouraged by Dorset Council. As to cost of running the scheme this must be difficult to really assess as we have lockdowns and chain stores closing so how does one accurately predict future numbers?
I rely on my shoppers permit and would really miss it if it was cancelled. It is so useful and also really easy to renew as my details are on line. Please Dorset CC keep this really useful WDDC initiative and extend the value to the rest of Dorset. Please!!!
All car parking charges should be the same every where in the county.Disabled parking should be free everywhere not just in certain places.I know people who have a disabled badge that boycott local shops and businesses to go where parking is free
Yes please. Roll the car parking permit out across Dorset but increase the time to 3 hours to allow for lunch and include Sundays
An excellent idea I would certainly participate
We have used the shoppers car park permit for a few years. We had them for convenience, e.g. not having to worry about having change or ticket machines not working. However, we have not always made full use of the permit and therefore the Council made money . I am not complaining, it is our choice, as I am sure others do the same.
My question is, having calculated the loss of 50k p.a. does this include the potential profit made from people like us, or would the cost of 50k be less if this were taken into account?