Council drops Hill Road parking charges
Council U-turn on Clevedon parking charges after backlash and legal action, though wider parking reforms will still proceed elsewhere in the town
North Somerset Council has dropped plans to charge people to park on popular shopping streets in Clevedon, after the town threatened to take it to court.
The council had planned to introduce on-street parking charges to the area around Hill Road and Alexandra Road, triggering concern among the area’s independent shops. Last month, Clevedon Town Council began judicial review proceedings against North Somerset over the decision.
Now North Somerset Council has announced it is dropping the plan. In a statement, cabinet member Mark Canniford said: “North Somerset is a listening council and we are committed to working with our towns to ensure that our approach to parking is suitable and sustainable.”
David Sims of Hill Road’s independent bookshop, Books on the Hill, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I’m delighted and relieved.”
He was a major voice in the campaign against the parking charges. He said: “Hill Road is a little gem. It’s not easy even now and this just means the environment and the community can keep going and hopefully thrive.”
Hill Road and Alexandra Road are a separate commercial area to the main town centre, located closer to the seafront and defined by their attractive independent shops. Mr Canniford said that the fact the area was not served by any car parks made it unique.
Mr Canniford said: “In the current economic climate, it is particularly important that our approach supports the local economy and maintains access to growth. This is why I have taken the decision not to introduce on-street charges on Hill Road and Alexandra Road.”
He added: “We have listened to the concerns shared by the local community and recognise there are additional challenges that could be created by changing how we manage on-street parking in this retail area.”
His statement did not reference Clevedon Town Council’s judicial review. Council leader Mike Bell said, in a recent appearance on John Darvall’s BBC Radio Bristol show, that the two councils ending up in court would be “a scandalous waste of public money.”
Mr Bell previously justified the charges by warning of the council’s financial situation. It has just increased council tax by 8.99% after facing both increasing costs for social care and decreasing government funding. At the meeting in 2024 when the council executive voted to introduce the parking charges, Mr Bell said: “We cannot justify subsidising parking when we are having to cut care services for vulnerable adults and children.”
Hill Road, Alexandra Road, Bellevue Road, and Gardens Road have now all been removed from the plan for on-street parking charges. On-street parking charges will still be introduced on Elton Road and Old Church Road, popular parking spots for Salthouse Fields and the Marine Lake. Plans to introduce parking charges to council car parks will also continue, with plans to come into effect in the summer.