Fears raised over £1-an-hour increase in car parking tariffs across Wiltshire
In January, the council published its new Parking Plan and Tariff proposals, which would see car parking charges increase by 20 per cent
Fears have been raised that Wiltshire Council is considering an increase in car parking charges of between 50p and £1 an hour for market towns across the county.
In January, the council published its new Parking Plan and Tariff proposals, which would see car parking charges increase by 20 per cent.
The cost of car parking has not gone up since 2022, and the council said the increases would be in line with inflation over that period.
In market towns like Corsham, Melksham, and Warminster the cost of parking would increase from between 40p and 50p an hour to between 50p and 70p under the published proposals.
But during a Salisbury City Council meeting on March 9, Ricky Rogers – who sits on the city council and is Wiltshire Council’s sole Labour councillor – said he had been given assurances by Wiltshire Council leader Ian Thorn that car parking tariffs would be “harmonised” across the county.
“We’ve had a pledge to have a review across the whole of Wiltshire to harmonise parking charges so that Salisbury residents don’t pay more to park per hour than residents in Chippenham, Trowbridge and Devizes,” he told the city council.
“That’s the pledge from the leader of Wilshire Council, which you and I will hold him to.”
If that were true, residents in the county’s market towns could be looking at parking charges closer to between 90p and £1.80 an hour.
Wiltshire Council leader Ian Thorn was pushed for answers by Conservative group leader Richard Clewer at a meeting of the council’s Cabinet this week.
“I was more than a little astounded to hear some of the suggestions being made by Cllr Rogers around proposals – things he was describing as agreements that have been made or guarantees he’d received,” said Cllr Clewer.
Cllr Thorn said he did not want to predetermine the outcome of a forthcoming public consultation on the issue.
“I’m really struggling to get my head around how there can be no predetermination when it appears… guarantees have been given to him, by you, that certain things will and won’t happen when it comes to parking charges, particularly in Salisbury,” said Cllr Clewer.
Cllr Thorn responded: “I’ve made no commitments whatsoever. But there is a consultation that will take place.
“And those of us that have been around for some time will know that quite frequently there are changes based on consultation. That’s the point of the consultation.”
Cllr Clewer came back: “The bit that really astounded me, listening to the Salisbury City Council discussion, was around harmonisation.
“That would mean everyone’s charges being brought up to the level of the Salisbury’s – and I can imagine what the response from places like Westbury or
Devizes or Trowbridge or Chippenham or everywhere else in the county would be.
“If that’s the debate and if that’s the consultation that’s being considered then surely the public need to have an understanding of what the implications are.”
Cllr Thorn responded: “Again, what you’re trying to get me to do is to predetermine the outcome of the consultation.
“When we get the response, when we see the feedback, we will then set out our response.”
Following the meeting, Cllr Tamara Reay (Devizes Rural West, Conservative), said: “There is real worry that equalising charges could unintentionally penalise the very towns that depend most on accessible, low-cost parking.
“Parking charges could rise in Devizes and Marlborough by 50p an hour and in Melksham by £1 an hour, so that Salisbury’s is reduced.
“We want to ensure that any future changes support, rather than undermine, our high streets and local economies.”