Plymouth car parking fees could rise

Blue badge holders may also have to pay on the Hoe

Charges could be introduced in coastal car parks in Plymouth as part of a city-wide plan to bring in an extra £1.4 million in car parking fees.

On-street and off-street parking charges and permits are all set to increase from April after they were approved by the city council’s cabinet on Monday.

A proposal to introduce a £2 charge at coastal car parks after the first free hour at Jennycliff, Mount Batten and Strand Street is subject to a public consultation as is charging for blue badge parking on the Hoe promenade.

Plymouth City Council said car parking income remains essential for delivering key services and the increases are responding to rising costs.

Car parking charges were “significantly lower” than many other cities it benchmarked itself against, it said.

The increases – from £2.40 to £2.80 per hour on-street and from £2.85 to £3.50 for a two-hour off-street stay –   would bring them more in line with those charged by other councils.

But in a new move motorists will now be able to use time left on a ticket across the city so they can conduct a whole day’s activities on one ticket.

With regard to permits which are increasing to cover costs, the council scrapped a plan to introduce an increase of 50% for each additional permit to “discourage multiple car ownership” after public feedback.

Cash payments for parking will be removed as systems are replaced and upgraded. The council said that in 2024/25 over 84 per cent of customers chose to pay by RingGo and only three per cent of payments were made by cash.

Council cabinet member for strategic planning and transport John Stephens (Lab, Plymstock Dunstone) said the council had been making a number of improvements to support motorists and businesses over the last year.

These included extending EV charging across car parks, expanding payment options within the West End, extending the time that people can park on street in the city centre and in shoppers’ car parks, enhancing security across car parks and installing CCTV at Western Approach, as well as introducing delivery permits in the Marks & Spencer car park.

“However, like most other local authorities, we are facing significant financial challenges due to rising costs and demand and that means having to keep all our charges under review,” he said.

“We know new or increased parking charges will never be welcomed but unfortunately they are often essential if we are to sustain the high-quality service our customers deserve.”

Cllr Kate Taylor (Lab, Ham) said there was not enough space for all cars to park in the city and the council needed to look at how to reduce car use and improve public transport .

She said she would like to see more enforcement in parking permit zones as it was covered by the cost of permits, along with the administration.

She said it was important people  knew why the rise in the permit costs were necessary for the scheme to “wash its own face”.

Cllr Chris Penberthy (Lab, St Peter and the Waterfront) said he represented a ward where there were no residential streets that were free to park in.

And as a permit holder, he often had to park in another permit zone ten minutes from home as there was no space.

“There is limited street space and increasing demand, both from residents and visitors, and how we manage that is quite complicated. Less than half the households in my ward have a car, imagine if they did? We need to keep this under review, it will be an ongoing issue.”

The council is looking at introducing a charge for blue badge holders at the Hoe promenade after receiving report of “vehicles parking there for extended periods consistent with commuter use”.