Parking fee rise goes ahead despite opposition

All off-street car park charges and parking clock prices in council car parks are due to rise

Car parking charges in the New Forest are set to increase, despite attempts by opposition councillors to freeze or limit the rises.

The car parking charge rises, which come into effect from 1 January, are expected to generate an additional £380,000 for New Forest District Council.

Liberal Democrat councillor Malcolm Wade said the "extraordinary high charges" should be frozen.

The Conservative-run local authority said the rises were necessary for a “sound and balanced budget”.

'Cash cow'

Charges for all off-street car parking and parking clocks - pre-paid tickets that are displayed on vehicle dashboards - in council car parks are due to rise, with the £1 fee for an hour increasing to £1.50.

The price of an annual district-wide, long-stay clock is going up from £220 to £230, with £5 rises for both the three-month long stay - £65 to £70 - and the annual shoppers’ parking - £40 to £45 - clocks.

Mr Wade proposed an amendment to freeze the car parking fees and charges for 2025 at a full council meeting.

"We could give something back to the people of New Forest who need help and support," he said.

“If you don’t give, at least don’t take. Give them a year off and then raise them with inflation next year. It is such a big rise. We are using the motorist as a cash cow.”

Conservative portfolio holder for finance, Jeremy Heron, said the council faced significant pressures.

“The reason that we have troubles with shops, more than the car parking, is online shopping,” he said.

Both Mr Wade's amendment and another, which would have capped the rise at the rate of inflation, were defeated.

The meeting was told that despite a fall in parking clock sales in 2024 compared to 2023, total parking income by the end of August 2024 was £670,000 higher than in the same period in the previous year.