Wiltshire Council leader says Sunday parking charges will help save key services
"It was decision not taken lightly"
The leader of Wiltshire Council says the decision to reintroduce parking charges on Sunday's was made in order to save other important services.
People using the car parks owned by the local authority have to pay from today (Sunday 3rd April).
It was part of the new budget, where they were facing some significant challenges.
Cllr Richard Clewer says they were looking at shutting some key areas:
"We were at the point where we were looking at that really serious stuff at potentially closing leisure centres, closing libraries, closing children centres. We didn't want to do any of those. However, one of the things that we have had to bring in is Sunday parking charges to try and help raise enough funds to make sure that we don't have to do those other really unpleasant things."
Shoppers and visitors to Salisbury will have to pay £1.90 with Chippenham the next most expensive at £1.40 and Trowbridge, Marlborough and Devizes £1.00, while in Amesbury the charge is 50p and Warminster 70p.
Mr Clewer added that he thinks the pricing is fair:
"I think if you're looking at an all day charge for Sunday parking, yes, I think it's reasonable. Do I want it to be there? No, I don't. But do I have a choice? Honestly, no, I don't. We're setting charges between 50 pence and £1.90 for all day on a Sunday, depending on where you are in the county and yes it feels okay.
"I think when you do anything with parking charges, people get really upset and I understand why. It's one of those things that feels a bit odd, feels a bit unfair when you end up paying them but the evidence isn't that it has a significant impact on whether people will still use them or not. What has an impact on whether people go to places is what's on inside the place they're going to, what events there are what reasons there are to draw them in."
As part of the changes, there is also no more free parking Culver Street in Salisbury.