Durham council plan to scrap free parking at coastal spots

Ray Lonsdale's Tommy statue, a tribute to soldiers killed in World War One, draws in visitors to Terrace Green in Seaham

Free parking could be scrapped along the County Durham coast if council plans are approved.

Drivers can currently park in Seaham and Crimdon without having to pay, but Durham County Council has proposed adopting pay and display charges.

It said it was the only authority along the North East coast not to charge and it could help to free up spaces and improve access for residents.

A public consultation is under way until 13 November.

The council also claimed the decision would help lower emissions and "improve" local air quality.

It suggested it would reduce "the need for drivers to circulate around car parks multiple times until they find a space, or queue for one to become vacant".

Carl Thompson, a Labour councillor on Seaham Town Council, who also owns an ice cream parlour, said as a business owner he was "totally against" the plans.

"To bring that sort of charge in is going to put off visitors coming into Seaham who just want to stop off for a coffee or an ice cream, who just want to park up for five minutes and then come in and come back out," he told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"We are already having the worst year we have had because of the cost-of-living crisis and to put parking charges in is just going to make things worse."

'Badly parked vehicles'

The county council also wants to end free parking in Durham City on Sundays.

Liberal Democrat Elizabeth Scott, the cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: "Charges are widely used to control parking availability and support the commercial viability of town centres and attractions by increasing turnover of spaces in areas where there is high demand.

"They improve parking availability for residents and visitors and, in turn, increase the number of people coming into communities and spending money.

"What we are proposing would also address some of the issues that residents in coastal communities in particular raise with us, such as that of badly parked vehicles obstructing access."

The council said the proposals would generate income to fund the maintenance of its parking facilities, while it tried to cut £16.3m from next year's budget.