A major review of Somerset car parking charges has been approved by Somerset Council’s Executive this week, paving the way for proposed tiered pricing structures for both on-street and off-street parking across the county, including in Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge.
The proposals outline a sliding scale of fees that would see the county’s car parks placed into different tiers depending on their location and usage.
The new structure would apply seven days a week, although some car parks would continue to offer periods of free parking.
Any move to introduce charges at currently free car parks would be evidence‑based and follow discussions with local businesses, councillors, town and parish councils, and other stakeholders.
Following this week’s decision, Somerset Council will now begin a comprehensive survey of all 200 council‑run car parks and on‑street parking areas across Somerset.
A further report will be brought back to the Executive later in the year with suggested pricing for each tier before a community‑based consultation begins.
The consultation will take place ahead of any final decisions on which tier each car park will fall into and will also consider measures such as double yellow lines to prevent parking displacement into residential streets.
Cllr Richard Wilkins, Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Transport and Waste Services, says the aim is to create a more consistent and fair system across the county.
He told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “We are committed to a county‑wide, town‑by‑town review to help us build a new charging structure based on what is right for communities. Not all car parks are used in the same way, so we are looking at placing them in one of five tiers depending on location and usage.”
“At the moment we still have very different charging systems depending on where you are in Somerset. This new approach would offer a uniform policy which is consistent but not a one‑size‑fits‑all approach. It is aimed at encouraging turnover and sustainable travel into Somerset’s towns.”
The draft tiers, developed by an external specialist, include indicative charges based on existing fees across the former district council areas and benchmarking with neighbouring authorities. The review will also look at concessions, season tickets, pay‑and‑display infrastructure and the potential transition to cashless systems.
Any final proposals will need to go through the statutory Traffic Regulation Order process, where formal objections and comments can be submitted.
You can find the full report here: Agenda for Executive on Wednesday, 11th March.
