Businesses react to premium parking in Northampton
Premium parking zones across Northampton to come into effect soon
Northampton town centre businesses have reacted to West Northamptonshire Council’s plans to introduce new ‘premium parking zones’ on certain town centre streets.
The changes, which will come into effect in less than two weeks, on August 17, follow a review of on-street parking which found that some streets experience particularly high demand for parking while others are used less often, according to WNC.
The premium zones will include on-street parking on Abington Street, Mercers Row, George Row and St Giles Street. The new charges will see the cost of 30 minutes of parking rise from 80p to £1, and leaving your car for up to 60 minutes will incur a charge of £2, up from £1.60.
Parking machines impacted by the increase have been painted red to make them easy to identify, while standard parking machines will remain black.
The council has said it hopes the measures will improve the availability of spaces, reduce congestion caused by drivers searching for parking, and encourage a better spread of parking demand across the town centre. It added that this follows similar approaches used in other towns and cities across the UK.
Steve Partington, owner of Dychurch Lifestyle, told the LDRS that the increase in on-street parking fees from £1.40 to £1.60 in April this year had already done damage. He added that increasing the cost further to £2 an hour – which is a 40 per cent increase on the cost in 2025/26 – would be crossing a line.
“It’s a ridiculous thing to do, I didn’t think our council would do anything as stupid as that,” he said.
“I’ve been observing parking on this street for 15 years and I listen to what visitors and customers say. If you have a town centre that isn’t doing brilliantly and you charge too much for the parking a chunk of people will definitely not come.
“With this Reform council, I really thought they’d have their ear to the ground with the town centre. If a businessman bought Northampton town centre the first thing he would do is not charge for parking – it really should be free for two hours.
“They need to get the money from elsewhere.”
Kathryn Ozlati, owner of the long-standing Saint Gyles Jewellers which has been on St Giles’ Street for 44 years, branded the ‘premium zone’ charges as “short-sighted” and a “quick fix” to plug budget gaps.
“The charges, which are deterring people from coming in the town, are an easy target for members of the council who’ve never generated any wealth and are simply there to manage money that they get given. We, as independent businesses, have to generate our own income.
“If they were to reduce the parking and encourage people back into the town, rather than be empty units and empty retail properties, the town would actually generate more income for them.
“My opinion is that, regardless of how much they charge, it’s utterly destroying the town centre.”
Managing director of Montague Jeffrey, Jonathan Williams, said he was “flabbergasted” at the council’s announcement.
He said: “I’m at my wit’s end, the footfall in the town centre is dreadful. St Giles Street is one of the only shopping streets in the town that has reasonable shops that actually attract people into the town and we’re the ones being penalised.
“Short stay parking for customers and shoppers should be free for two hours maximum. It shouldn’t be ‘premium’ parking. All it’s going to do is bring on the demise of the town centre further.”
Annette King, a retail assistant at Abraxas Cookshop, said she had noticed some of the parking machines had been painted red in the last week, but knew nothing about the reason behind the changes.
“A lot of people come into town just for this street and don’t want to park in the Grosvenor or St Johns. It’s a really really bad move because this is the nicest street in the town and it will discourage people from supporting independent traders,” she said.
She also questioned the timing of the decision, with the recent closure of multiple off-street car parks in the town centre. Over 1,000 spaces in the multi-storey are currently inaccessible due to crumbling concrete and potential health and safety risks, and approximately 160 spaces in Upper Mounts will be taken out of use to allow site investigations to take place for the Greyfriars regeneration scheme.
Steve and Caroline Ward, from St Giles Cheese, raised concerns that the new premium zones were largely affecting the independent quarter of the town centre. They disputed the council’s justification that the fees would improve the availability of spaces, saying people would just stop parking in them altogether.
They said: “It’s the council penny pinching again for their biscuit fund.”
The new parking proposals were mentioned in part of the council’s 2026/27 budget proposals that were approved in February. However, they were overshadowed by simultaneous proposed increased fees at town centre car parks and proposals to remove free weekend and blue badge parking.
A consultation period is not legally required, however, the notice must be published for at least 21- days before the new fees are introduced.
Cllr Richard Butler, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “We know how important convenient parking is for local shops, businesses, residents and visitors. That’s why we’re looking at ways to make better use of the spaces available across the town centre.
“Some areas are in very high demand and can become full quickly, while there is often capacity in nearby locations. By encouraging drivers to use a wider range of parking options, we can help make spaces easier to find and reduce congestion caused by people driving around looking for parking.
“Our goal is simple: to create a parking system that works more efficiently and makes visiting Northampton town centre a better experience for everyone.”