Car park fees set to increase in three more Norfolk towns
Drivers would be charged £2 for up to three hours, as opposed to £1 for two hours
Car parking fees are set to increase in three Norfolk towns for the first time in eight years.
South Norfolk Council has launched a review into charges across the 17 car parks it owns in Diss, Loddon, Harleston, Long Stratton and Wymondham.
The proposals were first considered earlier this year, but taken back to the drawing board amid concerns about the introduction of parking fees on Sundays. This measure has now been scrapped.
However, fees could still be increased across 14 car parks under plans which will be considered by councillors next week.
The council owns eight car parks in Diss, two in Harleston, two in Loddon, one in Long Stratton and four in Wymondham. Harleston and Long Stratton are operated separately and will remain free.
The charges have been frozen since 2016 but are now set to be modified in order to: “make the tariff structure easier to understand.”
This will see drivers charged £2 for up to three hours, as opposed to £1 for two hours currently.
The cost of a full day of parking will also increase from £4 to £5. However, all towns will still offer a free first hour of parking.
The two council-owned car parks in Loddon currently offer two hours of free parking, subsidised by the Co-Op, an arrangement which the council says it hopes it re-negotiate.
These changes were initially set to be considered at a meeting in January but were dropped and wound back to the beginning for further consideration.
If councillors vote in favour of the reviewed charges, these would be implemented by next autumn.
Car parking fees have been a source of great controversy across Norfolk in recent weeks.
Most recently, Broadland Council has proposed bringing in fees for the first time at its sites in Reedham, Reepham, Brundall, Blofield, Aylsham, Acle and Coltishall.
While it is currently free to park at these council-owned locations, providing more than 300 spaces in total, officials at the authority say the introduction of charges may help to discourage obstructive use of spaces.
The decision by neighbouring Breckland Council to push forward with introducing charges across its towns has sparked significant local backlash, with business owners warning the change will have a “seriously damaging” impact on their high streets.