We are consulting on a range of proposals affecting off street car parking charges.
Following a review of off street (car park) parking charges, we are consulting on proposals to off street Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs). These proposals will help us achieve our strategic outcomes of local transport policy and the climate emergency by reducing congestion and vehicle intrusion into neighbourhoods, and particularly residential neighbourhoods (aligning with the our policy on Liveable Neighbourhoods and the Journey to net zero).
Consultation overview
Parking charge increases are always a difficult topic, and even more so during a period when there are additional pressures on household finances with the cost of living going up. However, the costs of parking stays equate only to a small percentage of the annual costs of running a motor vehicle, and therefore the impact is small and other more sustainable options such as the Park and Ride are available.
Car park charges were last reviewed in 2018 alongside the adoption of our Parking Strategy ‘Balancing your Needs’. This prior review was the first review of the charges since 2010. We recognise the cost-of-living crisis and we are sensitive to the current pressure on families. These proposals (where not correcting historical anomalies) broadly represent a below inflationary increase since 2010.
These proposals intend to improve air quality through a major shift to public transport, walking and cycling. They also aim to provide incentives for reducing the use of private vehicles, which will secure safer movement of pedestrian traffic on the highway by reducing the public health risks posed to them by air pollution.
The objective of any charging structure is to encourage private vehicle users when appropriate to choose sustainable modes of transport (cycling, walking, Park and Ride or public transport), rather than driving into the city or town centre to park.
Season tickets
We recognise that the proposed cost of season tickets in council public car parks is significant when set against the current charges, but this must be considered against the fact that the current charges remain historically low and do not align with the objectives of local transport policy or the climate emergency.
Current charges are not equivalent to the daily pay and display charge and unreasonably dis-incentivise the use of sustainable alternatives. The proposed season ticket charges still offer a significant discount against the equivalent daily pay and display rate of 35%.
Southview Road and The Shallows
Whilst noting the 2018 parking strategy commitment not to implement parking charges where none are currently present, the proposal to introduce charges in Southview Road car park (permits) and The Shallows (pay and display) is appropriate in this instance, as the locations experience significant challenges due to frequent extended use by motorists.
The introduction of charges will enable improved management of these car parks to the benefit of all users by facilitating turnover of the limited capacity available, or in the example of Southview Road car park in limiting the locations use to local users only.
Park and Ride
The introduction of parking charges at Park and Ride sites for motorists not using the bus service will ensure that the Park and Ride service remains viable in the long term and help fund future service improvements.
Passengers using the park and ride bus service are not required to pay this charge.
Summary of proposed changes
These are the current and proposed car park charges for Bath.
Contents
| Car park | 1hr | 2hrs | 3hrs | 4hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath Sports and Leisure Centre | £1.60 | £3.20 | £4.80 | £6.40 |
| Broad Street | £1.60 | £3.20 | £4.80 | £6.40 |
| Cattle Market | £1.60 | £3.20 | £4.80 | £6.40 |
| Claverton Street | £1.60 | £3.20 | ||
| Green Park Road | £3.20 | £4.80 | £6.40 | |
| Kingsmead Square | £1.60 | £3.20 | £4.80 | £6.40 |
| Car park | 2hrs | 3hrs | 4hrs | 6hrs | 8hrs | 24hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avon Street | £3.20 | £4.80 | £6.40 | £9.60 | £12.80 | £15 |
| Charlotte Street | £6.40 | £9.60 | £15 | |||
| Manvers Street | £3.20 | £4.80 | £6.40 | £9.60 | £12.80 | £15 |
| Car park | 1hr | 2hrs | 3hrs | 4hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath Sports and Leisure Centre | £1.70 | £3.40 | £5.10 | £6.80 |
| Broad Street | £1.70 | £3.40 | £5.10 | £6.80 |
| Cattle Market | £1.70 | £3.40 | £5.10 | £6.80 |
| Claverton Street | £1.70 | £3.40 | ||
| Green Park Road | £3.40 | £5.10 | £6.80 | |
| Kingsmead Square | £1.70 | £3.40 | £5.10 | £6.80 |
| Car park | 2hrs | 3hrs | 4hrs | 6hrs | 8hrs | 24hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avon Street | £3.40 | £5.10 | £6.80 | £10.20 | £13.60 | £17.10 |
| Charlotte Street | £6.80 | £10.20 | £17.10 | |||
| Manvers Street | £3.40 | £5.10 | £6.80 | £10.20 | £13.60 | £17.10 |
The above charges apply from 8am to 8pm every day.
Additional changes
- New overnight charge of £1.50 per night will apply for all stays between 8pm to 8am for all the above locations.
- The overnight charge will apply in addition to any charges for stays below 24 hours and that apply for stays before 8pm, including the evening charge at Charlotte Street
- For example, a stay in Charlotte Street car park from 6.30pm until 11.30pm would cost £3. This is the total of the £1.50 evening charge and the £1.50 overnight charge.
- An all day stay (24 hours) will include the overnight charge and expires 24 hours after first purchased
- The Residents Parking Saver discount of 10% no longer applies and is removed
- The 10p convenience charge to car park users for all stays made using MiPermit is removed.
These are the current and proposed car park charges for Keynsham.
Contents
| Car park | 2hrs | 3hrs | 4hrs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashton Way | £0.40 | £0.90 | |
| Ashton Way East | £0.40 | £0.60 | £0.90 |
| Civic Centre | £0.40 | £0.60 |
| Car park | 2hrs | 4hrs | 8hrs | 10hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath Hill East | £0.40 | £0.90 | £1.60 | £2.10 |
| Fox and Hounds | £0.40 | £0.90 | £1.60 | £2.10 |
| Station Road | £0.40 | £0.90 | £1.60 | £2.10 |
| The Labbot South | £0.40 | £0.90 | £1.60 | £2.10 |
Proposed charges
| Car park | 2hrs | 3hrs | 4hrs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashton Way | £0.60 | £1.20 | |
| Ashton Way East | £0.60 | £0.90 | £1.20 |
| Civic Centre | £0.60 | £0.90 |
| Car park | 2hrs | 4hrs | 8hrs | 10hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath Hill East | £0.60 | £1.20 | £2.40 | £3 |
| Fox and Hounds | £0.60 | £1.20 | £2.40 | £3 |
| Station Road | £0.60 | £1.20 | £2.40 | £3 |
| The Labbot South | £0.60 | £1.20 | £2.40 | £3 |
Additional changes
- New linear per hour charging structure
- The Residents Parking Saver discount of 10% no longer applies and is removed
- The 10p convenience charge to car park users for all stays made using MiPermit is removed.
Current charges
Contents
Non-reserved spaces
| Car park | 1 month | 3 months | 6 months | 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avon Street (Mon-Fri) | £170.14 | £510.40 | £1020.80 | £2041.60 |
| Manvers Street (Mon-Fri) | £170.14 | £510.40 | £1020.80 | £2041.60 |
| Charlotte Street (Mon-Fri) | £116.69 | £350.08 | £700.15 | £1400.30 |
| Charlotte Street (7 days) | £135.58 | £408.38 | £816.75 | £1633.50 |
| Keynsham long stay (7 days) | £19.80 | £60.50 | £115.50 | £231 |
Reserved spaces
| Car park | 1 month | 3 months | 6 months | 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte Street (Mon-Fri) | £202.13 | £606.38 | £1212.75 | £2425.50 |
| Charlotte Street (7 days) | £231 | £693 | £1386 | £2772 |
Proposed charges
- Reserved parking bay season tickets no longer offered; all reserved bays returned to general use when current live permits expire.
- Proposed charges for season tickets are indicative only
- The proposals base the new charges on 35% discount against the equivalent daily rate for the location. Monday to Friday permits also take into account an allowance for a customer’s annual leave at 20 days per year.
- The calculation to be used is:
- Charge = (Chargeable days * daily charge) * (1 - 0.35).
- Where chargeable days are: Monday to Friday permits - 20 per month, 7 day permits - 30.4 per month.
| Car park | 1 month | 3 months | 6 months | 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avon Street (Mon-Fri) | £222.30 | £666.90 | £1333.80 | £2667.60 |
| Manvers Street (Mon-Fri) | £222.30 | £666.90 | £1333.80 | £2667.60 |
| Charlotte Street (Mon-Fri) | £222.30 | £666.90 | £1333.80 | £2667.60 |
| Charlotte Street (7 days) | £337.16 | £1011.47 | £2022.93 | £4045.86 |
| Keynsham long stay (7 days) | £39 | £117 | £234 | £468 |
Reserved spaces no longer available at Charlotte Street car park.
New exclusive tariffs for electric vehicles only when charging in Bath long stay car parks where rapid charging (40Kw and higher rating) is available.
This facilitates the use of these rapid charge locations where their use is limited by 90 minutes by the charging scheme membership.
These new tariffs will currently only apply at Charlotte Street car park as the only long stay car park with electric chargers of a high enough rating.
New tariffs available via MiPermit only.
Charge set at the equivalent per hour rate (see 'proposed Bath car park charges' above) with tariffs of 1 and 2 hours only.
| Car park | 1hr | 2hrs |
|---|---|---|
| Avon Street | £1.70 | £3.40 |
| Charlotte Street | £1.70 | £3.40 |
| Manvers Street | £1.70 | £3.40 |
Current charges
Contents
Residents car parks (7 days)
| Car park | 6 months | 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Bedford Street | £200.75 | £401.50 |
| Brougham Hayes | £123.75 | £247.50 |
| James Street West | £200.75 | £401.50 |
| London Street | £200.75 | £401.50 |
Business permits (7 days)
| Car park | 6 months | 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Bedford Street | £310.75 | £621.50 |
| James Street West | £310.75 | £621.50 |
| London Street | £310.75 | £621.50 |
| Lorne Road | £310.75 | £621.50 |
Proposed charges
Contents
Residents car parks (7 days)
| Car park | 6 months | 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Bedford Street | £273.75 | £547.50 |
| Brougham Hayes | £273.75 | £547.50 |
| James Street West | £273.75 | £547.50 |
| London Street | £273.75 | £547.50 |
Business permits (7 days)
| Car park | 6 months | 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Bedford Street | £365 | £730 |
| James Street West | £365 | £730 |
| London Street | £365 | £730 |
| Lorne Road | £365 | £730 |
Business permits may not be available for purchase in all locations depending on overall permit demand at a location.
Introduction of permit holders only parking at Southview Road car park, Oldfield Park.
This car park has 20 marked spaces and is currently unrestricted parking, which experiences high demand and low turnover. The Introduction of parking for permit holders only will ensure that only those local residents living within 500m of the car park will be entitled to a permit, with numbers limited to a first come first served basis.
As this location is not adopted highway, it’s not available for use as on street permit parking.
The proposed charges align with those proposed for other residents permit holder car parks as set out above, with charges proposed as £273.75 for 6 months and £547.50 for 12 months.
Introduction of paid for parking charges for short stay durations at this car park to help manage turnover, particularly during peak periods.
| Car park | 1hr | 2hrs | 3hrs |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Shallows | £0.30 | £0.60 | £0.90 |
Charges apply from 1 April to 30 September, but parking is free from 1 October to 31 March (a free stay during October to March still requires a free activation via MiPermit). Parking (free or paid for) applies from 8am to 8pm all year.
A no return period of 4 hours will apply all year to support increased turnover and prevent a vehicle from parking all day.
New charges introduced at Park and Ride sites for motorists not using the park and ride service (parking is free for customers using the Park and Ride service).
| Car park | 3hrs | up to 24 hrs |
|---|---|---|
| Lansdown Park and Ride | £1 | £2 |
| Newbridge Park and Ride | £1 | £2 |
| Odd Down Park and Ride | £1 | £2 |
Charges apply from midnight to midnight.
Payment only via cashless parking with MiPermit.
Environmental benefits
Cyclists
Less congestion on the network encourages active travel and improves safety and air quality, rebalancing the priorities on our roads.
Pedestrians
As cyclists, but reduced congestion on the network also improves the effectiveness of local bus services.
Businesses
Our Parking Strategy recognises the importance of short stay parking capacity to support the economic viability of town and city centres, and the tourism market.
As demand for parking spaces within these centres increases, priority is given to short-stay parking by encouraging long stay commuter parking (which is proportionality more expensive) to choose sustainable modes of transport, including cycling, walking and Park and Ride.
Residents
Reduced congestion and all day commuter parking (increase in the availability of short stay parking to support the economic viability of the centres and tourism market), and improved air quality.
Visitors
Increased parking charges, encouraging the use of more sustainable options such as the Park and Ride.
Why we are consulting
We would like to know if you are broadly supportive of the proposals or if you broadly object to them. We are inviting comments from the public to determine if we should take the proposals forward as proposed, varied or rejected.
What we are consulting on
We are asking you to respond to a Traffic Regulation Order to implement new charges for parking.
View a summary of the TRO
View the TRO report
View the TRO notice and final order for Bath.
View the TRO notice and final order for North East Somerset.
Who we are consulting
Anyone is welcome to respond to this consultation. We want to hear your views.
Have your say
View the TRO Outcome of Process report
View the consultation feedback report (appendix 1)
View the equalities impact assessment for these proposals
What happens next
We took into account the support and objections to this TRO before making the final decision about whether to implement it as council policy.
The proposals were implemented and made live on 8 November 2022