Changes are being brought in across the Dorset Council area to make car parking charges more consistent.
From early next year, drivers using any Dorset Council car park will be charged for parking 8am to 8pm, Monday to Sunday. This extends the chargeable period by two hours in most areas and introduces paying to park on Sundays for car parks in Beaminster, Blandford, Bridport, Dorchester, Gillingham, Shaftesbury, Sherborne and Sturminster Newton.
In Lyme Regis (Charmouth Road and Holmbush) and West Bay (East Beach, Station Yard and West Bay Road), car park charges will be increased from £2 for all day parking to £4. The last review of charges in these popular visitor destinations was in April 2014. All other existing car park tariffs will remain unchanged at this time.
Alongside these changes to car parks, to support local high streets Dorset Council is exploring a potential council-wide shoppers permit. The permit has run in West Dorset for 23 years and provides shoppers with discounted parking in short stay car parks to help them shop locally.
A shoppers’ permit consultation will start this Autumn to help evaluate the proposal.
The changes come as part of an ongoing review of car parks following the creation of Dorset Council and aims to make car park charging more comparable across the council area.
Cllr Ray Bryan, Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said: “It became apparent at an early stage of our car parks review that charges had not been reviewed for several years and changes needed to be made for a more consistent approach.
“As a council in a challenging financial position, we are trying to achieve a delicate balance of maximising income from our car parks while ensuring residents and visitors will still choose to support our high streets, beaches and attractions.
“While we were looking at these charges before the pandemic hit, it is more important than ever to make these changes now. Through national lockdown measures, people self-isolating and temporary free parking schemes, we have lost around £2m from our car parks so far this year at a time when we need the money most.”
To continue to support local economies, town councils can continue to use public car parks for free four times a year during events which generate valuable footfall for businesses. There will also be free parking during Small Business Saturday in December and free parking on one weekday in December.
Car parking charges and fines fund the operation of the council’s parking services department. Any surplus the service makes goes into the highways service, helping fund drainage works, reactive pothole repairs, car park safety and general maintenance.
Free after 6pm encourages people out at night time. This move will do nothing to help the struggling hospitality and leisure sector so many local residents rely on for employment. I strongly urge you to reconsider this move at this time.
Also, £4 for a whole day of parking at the tourist hot spot that is Lyme Regis is still relatively cheap, perhaps you could recover some of your funds by making that more realistic
Please consider installing power points for electric cars ( charging about a £1.00 per hr) as part of your commitment to the Climate Emergency .
Cllr Carol Holmes. West Moots Town Council.
Lobby for restoration of funding from central government instead of levying extra charges on shoppers, which is likely to further damage high streets across the county.
“Charges at Dorset Council-run car parks set to change” = Cost of parking goes up|
Great, does that mean Weymouth parking charges will be reduced to be in line (£4 parking all day) and a shoppers’ permit scheme put in place? Traditionally Weymouth residents have paid double or more compared with those in Dorchester.
I cannot understand how these changes will increase footfall in Dorchester. I would think local businesses are concerned gravely. It will only encourage people to shop on line and use free car parking at supermarkets. To charge on Sundays is quite disgraceful, and could adversely affect attendances at places of worship, for example, many people park at the top of town car park to attend the Baptist Church across the road.
As usual car owners will pay much more tax than others. This will only hinder getting shops back on target. You need to be more open minded in raising revenue. Everyone should input not just a few. Cut the Chief Excecs salary first. Not a happy bunny.
You are on course to take trade away from high streets with increased car park fees. A standard. Charge Of £1 for two hours is far more preferable.
Come on wake up !!!!!
Will the residents car park at the recreation ground in Swanage remain free in the winter and at 60p in the summer?
I have not posted this question before!!!
Wimborne Council will be pleased as they have the cheapest parking in the area and I have notice the increase in numbers of people that shop there.
It would be a pity to charge for Parking on Sunday mornings, when the Carparks in Bridport are practically empty and the users are very predominantly churchgoers. Could Sunday morning charging be excluded without any significant loss of revenues?
A council-wide shoppers permit, or residents permit is essential to encourage shopping and buying on the local level.
If the payment periods are being standardised DCC really should standardise the price; might I suggest £1 for 2 hours and the ticket must be valid in any car park. This allows locals to visit all town centres for an affordable fee and just a £1 after 6pm for the entire evening.
Periods longer than 2 hours graduated to 12 hours maximum charging period.
Is this a done deal or can we still influence our council officers?
As a rule we avoid parking charges where possible. These changes will encourage us to shop where we can get free parking and to shop on line more. Overall this move seems detrimental to the local economy and what the Council gains on the swings it will loose on the roundabouts and local businesses will suffer.
Save the high street! Make all carparking free. Unbelievable!!
These changes in Shaftesbury will hit some of the most vulnerable and least able to afford the extra charges, i.e. the town centre residents living in flats who leave their cars on the carparks overnight from when they get home in the evening (around 6pm) till when they leave again the morning at say 8am.
Otherwise there is not likely to be much extra income after 6 pm and on Sundays when the shoppers have gone. Why charge on Sundays? Church goers will have to pay?
We know that councils are cash-strapped, but lengthening the parking charging period to 8pm is a BAD move. Most tourists have gone back to their accommodation by 6pm. Local residents wanting to go out for the evening have often take advantage of the “free after 6pm” facility. Another nail in the coffin of local restaurants etc.
Why no charges in West Moors. This car park is used by commercial vehicles overnight and at weekends
I support these changes.
Why included Blandford it is like a ghost town – half the shops are closed, what cafe and restaurants that are open this will make it worse for them.
Blandford needs help not make matters worse.
Parity of car park charges between Weymouth and Dorchester would be fairer as I am aware of many Weymouth residents who shop in Dorchester due to the considerably lower parking charges there
Car parking in Dorchester is far better value than Weymouth. It is little wonder that shop after shop is closing in Weymouth.
Shoppers permit. A good idea, but will the permit be valid for the household rather than 1 car.
My husband and I both have cars and share the shopping, each using our own car.
In west Dorset we pay a little extra for the pass to be used by 2 cars in of the shame household. Works out well, you just have to remember to have it with you
I understood that the Station Road car park in Sturminster Newton was only chargeable from 9am – 3pm, to allow mum’s to park free before school to drop them off and after to pick their children up. Is the council really that money grabbing, when the local business’s would not benifit from your planned longer hours of charging.
I visit my elderly mother who is frail with Parkinson’s disease, she lives just off the high street, I am her main career. She does not have a drive way but parking outside for an hour only. This now means those spaces will be permanently filled. As I work full time myself this for sure is now going to make life more difficult to visit and plus I am now going to have to pay for parking too. I understand your need to fund your car park, but how many others are in the same predicament as I am in? There are lots of elderly parents like my mother whom rely on their family and friends for support. I think will have a massive adverse effect on the elderly people of Stur as people who can’t afford to pay charges on a daily basis will think twice about visiting .
Obviously, Sunday walks through the Towns mentioned will now be scrapped (Certainly by my family-&-from what I hear, friends as well) I believe this will spell the end for Shaftesbury & small towns like it, as items spotted, usually warranted a return to shop. That is now finished — even idiots don’t pay to window-shop!
Same old story, need money rip off the motorist, no wonder Shaftesbury town center is dead.
I am very disappointed by the decision to change the parking times and fees for Dorset. Why 8am to 8pm, seven days a week? South Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and even on street parking in Central London do not operate in such a manner. I understand that the Council wish to maximise the amount of revenue generated from car parks, but will this really make an impact to the coffers by introducing increased charging hours to those towns, such as Sherborne or Sturminster Newton? These are not the usual tourist/visitor centric places such as Lyme Regis or West Bay. I would also like to understand whether the cost of policing the carparks beyond the current 6pm timeline and on a Sunday will make this new and improved parking charges regime a loss-making venture.
Finally, looking at car parks in the region after 6pm in the evening, one usually finds them totally deserted, so what is accomplished by adding another 2 hours onto the parking times?
I wish you’d do something about the disabled parking spaces on Portland Bill, which are now about as far from both the entrance and the ticket machines as they can be! Please return them to being near the entrance. And I’d also like to request that you sort out the ticket machines, which are always out of order for everything except smartphone app payments. It may be news to you, but not everyone has a smartphone. Some of us still carry cash and credit/debit cards.
Moving charges to 8pm rather than 6pm as a long term situation means that those living in the countryside will be discouraged from visiting town in the evening for lectures etc as they will have to pay more for the pleasure and this could lead to parking in the residential streets on the edges of town, except these will be full of residents parking already. Those of limited means will be disadvantaged.
OUTRAGEOUS! Sunday free parking one of the few good things about going out and about in Dorset on a Sunday.
All that will happen is people will park on the streets instead, causing congestion.
I don’t object to reasonable increases in the charges in line with CPI. However you are falling into the trap of using car parking charges and lengthening the time period a cash cow. This will undoubtedly reduce footfall in the market towns of dorset thereby threatening the independent shops which are the lifeblood and attraction of visiting market towns. Extending the time to 8pm is unwelcome to the night life economy and typically penny pinching the ordinary citizen. I am totally against car parking charges on a Sunday as it is penalises church goers. The Council should seriously look at dropping charges for the out of holiday season period which will help hard pressed locals on low incomes
extending car parking charges in town centres has the effect of reducing the use of High Streets as people use supermarkets and out of town centre where parking is free.
Why don’t you consider a special residents’ permit (paid) which allows them to park between 08.00 and 10.00 and 16.00 and 18.00 without having to pay for a parking ticket. It was a very successful idea in the South Hams. We paid about £50 a year up front and then used the car parks during those “free” times. Ideal for quick trips to post offices, chemists, etc. Please consider it.
Why is it £8 to park all day in Weymouth when you’ve just put all day parking charges up from £2 to £4 in other county car parks. It should cost the same everywhere. Weymouth residents are ripped off with parking fees bring ours down. Answer please
Sometimes a consistent approach is not always the right approach. This will have a massive detrimental impact on the affected towns. Couldn’t they have standardised it the other way to help support residents and visitors to these areas?
We recommend reading the follow-up articles at https://news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/2020/10/22/changes-to-car-parking-charges-your-questions-answered/ and https://news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/2020/10/29/have-your-say-on-a-new-shoppers-permit-for-dorset/ which will hopefully answer your question – James
Outrageous changes to parking fees snd times that will create more on line shoppers and kill off the dwindling local trade.
I don’t think charges should be raised until more buses, more frequently, are provided. St. Peter’s Church in Dorchester Town Centre has no parking nearby as it is – and no Sunday bus from Poundbury! The No. 6 finishes before evening on weekdays too.
What is the suggestion, please?
Ill advised for both local businesses and residents.
Against time changes/costs in the car parks, here’s some reasons why.
1. People who have no driveway or residents parking will be parking down side roads congesting the area from 6pm.
2. High street cinemas and pubs rely on after 6pm free parking, customers may choose venues outside of towns
3. In the summer local families/residents on low incomes park at Weymouth after 6 to enjoy the beach others may spend the saved money in local shops
4. Dorchester has already lost many shops that are only now in Weymouth due to low rents. This will not help the town get back on its feet if parking rates are increased.
5. Free parking on Sundays enables people to come to the high street to browse. This can result on money spent in the economy. High street shops are likely to close on Sundays if this changes.
6. Parents on low incomes use the free parking to take children to the town parks and skate parks on Sundays.
Sherborne Digby Hall/Library car park. Groups and functions that use Digby Hall have lost their inside meter. The charges outside went up considerably.Users of the Hall are having to find a way of keeping their clients, as parking costs are deterring them for staying the whole day, which means the group meetings are depleted in numbers by 1/2.00pm,instead of continuing for the whole 6 hours the hall is booked for.
To charge parking fees requires policing of the system with parking attendants. Will the increased hours/overtime salaries for parking attendants from 6pm – 8pm daily (after shopping hours) and all day on Sundays (8am – 8pm) not cost more than the extra collected fees? Someone needs carefully to do their sums!
Please stick to normal trading hours and maintain the minimal expense Shopping Permit Scheme throughout the County. Less cash involved!
I think all street parking should carry a charge, streets have to be maintained. The extra revenue may allow charges in official car parks to be reduced. The harbour is not the jewel in Weymouth’s crown, it is the prettiest car park in town. The harbour should be surrounded by tables with umbrellas and seats which will provide a more attractive image than dirty smelly cars. Many residents don’t live in streets, they live in car parks.
When are the Council going to consult with local High Street businesses on what they need to grow trade on the High Street? Parking charges are a massive barrier and it would appear that no consideration has been given to the local business community and what they require to thrive in todays market.
Only Amazon benefit from this. Why drive to park and pay when you can do it from the comfort of your own home?. How long before local councils “encourage” shoppers and others to come to their areas by introducing congestion charges or other taxes?. Madness.