Parking charges in Exeter could rise again

Plans put forward to cut congestion

Tariffs would increase for stays between two hours and seven hours in Premium, Zone 1 and Zone 2 car parks by 10p, while tariffs in Zone 3 car parks will rise by 50p (for 2 hour stays), £1.00 (for 3 hour stays), £1.50 ( for 4 hour and all day stays) and by £5.00 for coaches (all day).

All vehicles parking within Exeter City Council car parks would also be required to hold a valid vehicle tax and MOT and the access road into Haven Road 2 and 3 car parks would be added to the Parking Places Order.

The minimum tariff in all car parks will rise from 1 hour to 2 hours, but car park residential permits will be made free for electric vehicles.

If agreed by the committee, the new tariffs would come into force from May 2020.

Premium Car Parks (Guildhall, Mary Arches, John Lewis)

Current Tariff Proposed Tariff

1 hour £3.30 n/a
2 hours £4.40 £4.50
3 hours £5.50 £5.60
4 hours £6.60 £6.70
5 hours £7.70 £7.80
6 hours £8.80 £8.90
7 hours £9.90 £10.00
All day £15.00 £18.00

Zone 1 Car Parks (Bampfylde Street, Bartholomew Terrace, Harlequins, King William Street, Magdalen Road, Magdalen Street, Matthews Hall, Princesshay 2, Princesshay 3, Smythen Street)

Current Tariff Proposed Tariff

1 hour £2.20 n/a
2 hours £3.30 £3.40
3 hours £4.40 £4.50
4 hours £5.50 £5.60
5 hours £6.60 £6.70
6 hours £7.70 £7.80
7 hours £8.80 £8.90
All day £13.00 £13.00

Zone 2 Car Parks (Belmont Road, Bystock Terrace, Cathedral & Quay, Haven Road 1, Howell Road, Richmond Road, Parr Street, Topsham Quay, Triangle)

Current Tariff Proposed Tariff

1 hour £2.20 n/a
2 hours £3.30 £3.40
3 hours £4.40 £4.50
4 hours £5.50 £5.60
5 hours £6.60 £6.70
All day £11.00 £11.00

Zone 3 Car Parks (Flowerpot, Haven Road 2 & 3, Holman Way, Okehampton
Street, Tappers Close, Turf Approach)

Current Tariff Proposed Tariff

1 hour £1.00 n/a
2 hours £1.50 £2.00
3 hours £2.00 £3.00
4 hours £2.50 £4.00
All day £3.50 £5.00

Zone 3 Car Parks with Maximum Stay (Bromhams Farm, Clifton Hill, Gordons Place, Station Road (Exwick))

Current Tariff Proposed Tariff

1 hour £1.00 n/a
2 hours £1.50 £2.00
3 hours maximum stay £2.00 £3.00

Other charges

Current Tariff Proposed Tariff

Coach Parking at Haven Road 3 (per day)

£5.00  £10.00

Season Ticket (per annum)

£1,500.  £1,500.

Residents Annual Car Park Permit (within catchment zone)

£150.00 £150.00

Residents Annual Car Park Permit (if electric vehicle and within catchment zone)

£150.00 Free

Business Annual Car Park Permit (within catchment zone)

£250.00 £250.00

Cathedral & Quay Dedicated Business Bay (within catchment
zone and subject to availability)

£750.00 £750.00

In April 2019, parking charges rose at every single one of the car parks managed by the city council, while large tariff increases also took place in April 2018.

The report of David Bartram, Director, says that increasing car parking tariffs will continue the existing approach of implementing reasonable and regular tariff increases to support the Council’s aims of reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality, and addressing the goal of a carbon neutral Exeter by 2030.

His report adds: “It will help encourage a move towards electric vehicle ownership by offering free residents annual car park permits for such vehicles within existing catchment zones and will deter drivers from using free Council car parks as informal ‘off road storage sites’ for vehicles without sufficient tax or MOT cover to be on the Highway.

“The City Council and Devon County Council have declared a climate emergency and are committed to achieving a carbon neutral city and county by 2030. The Exeter Place Board has also signed off the Exeter Vision 2040 with a stated aim to be carbon neutral by 2030.

“The County and City are working closely on the Exeter Transport Strategy with the aim of making a significant shift in how people get around the city, with an aim to limit the number of journeys by car that originate or terminate in the city to no more than 50 per cent.

“Clearly there are lots of things that will need to be done to support this ambition, including hard infrastructure, and improvements in alternatives. It is clear that with a stated aim of reducing congestion in the City, the City Council cannot help support this objective without reasonable and regular increases in tariffs.”

His report says that in the previous 12 months, there has been a 7.5 per cent fall in the number of vehicles using Council car parks alongside a 7.4 per cent increase in income as a result of the previous tariff increases that were introduced on ???? and that the proposed rise of £3 for all day parking in Premium car parks reflects the longer charging period in these sites (8am – midnight) compared to all other sites (8am – 6pm).

In proposing to make car park residential permits free for electric vehicles, it is hoped to provide an additional incentive to those residents considering changing from a traditional car to a greener alternative, Mr Bartram said.

He added: “While park-and-ride facilities are available and usage is increasing, there is still a great demand for city centre car parking, and we are especially aware of the need to balance the desire from retailers for cheap and plentiful parking with the need to create an attractive environment for those that live in the city and who expect to have good air quality and attractive public spaces.

“By continuing to increase tariffs in an attempt to reduce car journeys into central Exeter and by offering residents within car park permit catchment zones the incentive of free permits if they change to electric powered cars, this recommendation directly contributes to the Council’s carbon neutral challenge.”

His report does outline that the Council currently relies heavily on car park income in order to fund many other services across the city and as the number of vehicles using Council car parks reduces, consideration needs to be given as to how to replace that income, and that there is a risk that some drivers will elect to risk receiving a Penalty Charge Notice rather than paying the required tariff.

Exeter City Council’s Executive, when they meet on Tuesday, February 10, are recommended to agree to the new pricing structure, which would take effect from May 2020.