Parking charges extended to Sundays and bank holidays in Wiltshire

Parking charges will be imposed on motorists in Wiltshire on Sundays and bank holidays from August this year.

The decision was made by members of Wiltshire Council’s cabinet on Tuesday.

Councillors also voted to scrap free event parking allowance in the months of November and December. This allowance has previously allowed chambers of commerce, traders’ associations, and town councils to run markets alongside their Christmas lights switch-on events without having to pay for lost parking revenue.

The move will even hit towns that erect Christmas trees in their centres. Occupied parking spaces will now have to be paid for at the normal rate.

And that rate is increasing – an earlier decision to increase parking charges by 12 percent was ratified. The council says the increase is ‘inflationary’ as rates have not been increased since 2011. New charges came into effect on February 1.

In 2016/7 income from car parking charges was £3.7 million. The estimated £1.4 million generated from the new charges will be invested into the public transport budget, which currently stands at £7.4 million.

Season ticket holders will also see their fees increased.