A public consultation on plans to introduce to introduce Sunday charges in Somerset Council’s car parks starts today (Monday, 8th September).
There are currently different charging principles applied across the county’s 200+ Council-run car parks, and the system has not been reviewed since Somerset Council came into being in 2023.
Locally, there are already Sunday parking charges in force at the council’s car parks in Burnham-On-Sea. However, no Sunday charges are in place at Highbridge’s Bank Street car park, pictured here, therefore this consultation will cover new Sunday charges introduced there.
The Sunday charging proposals are the start of a process aimed at “harmonising charging practices across the county,” says the authority. The proposal to consult on Sunday charges, which was approved by the council’s Executive earlier this year, gives the public a chance to have their say before any final decisions are taken.
Under the previous five councils there were different approaches to Sunday charges in car parks. This means that there are currently Sunday charges at many car parks, including for example in Watchet, Minehead, Wells, Glastonbury, Cheddar, Street, Frome, Shepton Mallet, Williton and Burnham-On-Sea. However, there are no charges currently in Taunton, Wellington, Bridgwater, Chard. Crewkerne, Yeovil and Highbridge’s Bank Street car park.
Click here to read a full list here of the proposed Sunday charging changes
The council says the aim of this proposal is to “bring consistency across Somerset while also ensuring the parking service continues to be completely self-funded to cover staffing, serving and administrating penalty notices, and managing and maintaining car parks to a high level.”
The consultation starts today, 8th September, and runs for six weeks, closing on 20th October. The public and businesses can take part here: https://somersetcouncil.citizenspace.com/parking/copy-of-consultation
Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Transport and Waste, Councillor Richard Wilkins says: “I would encourage everyone to have their say – this is a really important consultation and we will be considering everyone’s views before final decisions are taken.”
“We have many car parks in Somerset and there are significant costs and challenges involved in running and maintaining them.”
“The proposal is about ensuring more consistency and fairness in charges across the county and in turn the extra income will help ensure the parking service is fully self-financed and can continue to be run, staffed and maintained properly.”
The council adds: “The Council’s Executive also committed to public consultation on the potential introduction of on-street charging (after a free 30-minute stopover) and charging in free car parks. These proposals will be developed following further engagement on an area by area basis with local members and town and parish councils, and further public consultation.”
The consultation on Sunday charges runs for six weeks from 8th September until 20th October. The proposals will then be considered at the Council’s Climate and Place Scrutiny Committee before final decisions are taken at Executive on 3rd December. If agreed, any changes would not come into effect until 2026.
