Lymington High Street traders warn parking meters are hurting businesses
Traders have renewed calls for an hour of free parking
Lymington High Street traders have renewed calls for an hour of free parking, warning the current arrangements are driving customers away.
Business owners David McConnachie and Gary Saunders told councillors at a universal services select committee meeting on Monday, November 2, that the current 20-minute free period does not give people enough time to shop or visit other businesses on the High Street.
Their call for an hour free for all drivers was backed by councillors in an 11-6 vote at the meeting.
However, executive member for highways Cllr Steve Forster later opted for a more limited scheme requiring motorists to use a New Forest District Council parking clock.
Under the approved 12-month scheme, drivers will need to display a valid NFDC parking clock and obtain the existing free 20-minute ticket from a parking machine or app, setting the clock to the same arrival time.
Pay-and-display meters were introduced on Lymington High Street in August 2022, replacing the previous one-hour limited waiting arrangement with the current 20-minute free period.
In November 2025, Mr McConnachie and Mr Saunders presented a petition to the full council signed by more than 8,000 people calling for the parking meters to be removed.
Returning to County Hall on Monday, Mr McConnachie said: “We’re just asking for free parking for everyone. Not for those people that have the clock.”
Questioning whether enough consideration had been given to traders, he added: “What about the businesses? What about the amount of money we’re losing?”
Mr Saunders said the current 20-minute period was not long enough for people to shop or visit other businesses.
He claimed: “My business alone is over 30 per cent down since the metres have been installed.”
However, according to the council’s report, monitoring found “no objective evidence” that the current parking arrangements had harmed the vitality of Lymington High Street.
It said parking turnover and availability had improved.
Following the traders’ representations, councillors voted 11 to six for an amendment from Cllr Jack Davies to trial an hour of free parking for all drivers without requiring a parking clock.
The amendment was supported by Reform councillors and a Green Party councillor.
Just before Cllr Forster announced his decision later that day, Cllr Davies urged him to respect the committee’s vote, saying it would be “completely undemocratic” not to follow its recommendation.
However, Cllr Forster backed the original recommendation from council officers, saying the alternative was currently unfunded and the parking-clock scheme offered a “quick and practical way forward”.
He added: “It would be irresponsible to make any decision that is unfunded or unbudgeted.”
Cllr Davies later said he was “completely stunned” by the decision but acknowledged the parking-clock scheme was progress.
He said it nevertheless “falls well short of what businesses and residents have requested”.
The scheme will run for 12 months, with an interim review after six months.