Free parking at Somerset car parks to end in controversial plans

Free+parking+at+Somerset+car+parks+to+end+in+controversial+plans

Controversial plans to end free parking in Midsomer Norton and Radstock and charge motorbikes to park in Bath are being put before the public.

Bath and North East Somerset Council wants to make £195,000 by rolling out its “emissions based” parking charges to more locations and upping the prices at Bath car parks. The currently free South Road car park in Midsomer Norton and Church Street and Waterloo Road car parks in Radstock will get the new charges under the plan.

Emissions based charges will also be rolled out to all on street pay and display locations in Bath, all council car parks in Keynsham, the Shallows car park at the Saltford beauty spot, and hotel parking permits. Current car parking prices in Bath will also go up under the plans and motorbikes and other DVLA-registered two and three wheeled vehicles will need to pay to park too for the first time.

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Emissions based parking was first introduced in council car parks in Bath in September 2023. Pay and display machines look up a vehicle’s emissions from the DVLA and charge based on how much carbon is emitted or, if this information is not available, the capacity of the engine.

The most new charges would be introduced in October 2024 and go up again in October 2025, while on street charges in Bath would go up in January 2025 and again in 2026. But first the plans are going out for public consultation so people can have their say, which will run until August 8.

Charges will increase by 10p per hour for the least polluting vehicles but, because charges depend on emissions, some vehicles may pay more. For the least polluting vehicles, the overnight parking charge in Bath car parks will go up by £1 and evening parking at Charlotte Street would go up by £1 in October 2024 and £1.30 in October 2025. The three hour and 24 hour tariffs in Baths park and rides would go up by 50p.

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