Parking costs backed as villagers fear influx of cars

BOSSES at the Peak District National Park Authority have defended proposed parking price increases that some fear could lead to cars being ditched in villages.

Charges in car parks owned by the authority are set to rise – for the first time in five years – by an average of 16%, which would mean one hour’s parking would increase from £1.50 to £1.75 and a day rate would rise from £4.75 to £5.50. More sites would also be monitored by council traffic wardens.

Community leaders have raised concerns the move could increase the number of people ditching their vehicles in villages to avoid coughing up for a ticket but the authority says the prices are in line with nearby councils.

Overall, the combination of the increased charges and extra charged car parks is set to bring in extra annual income of more than a quarter of a million pounds which would be used for maintenance, along with upkeep of the public toilets around the Peak District and the numerous cycle and walking trails.

An extra 13 out of 44 car parking sites could now be charged, meaning that 31 sites would be pay and display, with 13 remaining free.

The cost of these changes to the authority would be £113,000.

According to the national park’s website, there are currently 2,000 car parking spaces available which are operated by different organisations including the National Trust, United Utilities, Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and Yorkshire Water.

The authority says the potential hiked prices would not come in until a public consultation on the proposals.

Meanwhile, the authority has asked Derbyshire County Council to monitor and enforce an extra nine of the Peak District’s car parks, which would take the total enforced by parking wardens to 27.

Emma Stone, head of asset management for the authority, told a meeting in April that the change was “overdue”, saying: “The car parking provision that we have got in the national park is really essential for supporting visitors at the moment, providing that welcome and allowing people to come and enjoy the place.

“The car parking infrastructure that we and others provide allows traffic flow through the park, helps to reduce the incidence of verge parking and the damage to roadside flora and safety issues caused by obstruction of the highway.

“It will help to manage parking by increasing the movement of vehicles which will just stay for the time they actually need and spaces would be free more regularly and the fees are vital to maintain the facilities that the authority provides.

“By charging for parking it is hoped that visitors will consider their travel decisions in a bit more detail and might be encouraged to move towards a more sustainable transport solution rather than pay for parking.”

However Cllr Gill Heath said the charges would “displace traffic more and more in the villages”. She said: “Villages in the south Peak are really suffering. It is a tremendous problem.”

Sarah Fowler, chief executive of the authority said the proposed increase in the cost of permits to £66 would still be far lower than other local councils and much lower than those in the Lake District.

Parking permits in the High Peak were £120; Staffordshire Moorlands charges £250 to £370; a second resident permit in the Derbyshire Dales is £60 off-peak.

Meanwhile, the cost of a permit for one specific car at one specific car park in the Lake District is £250.

The county council said that enforcing more of the Peak District’s car parks would help with enforcement, due to officers having to travel a “considerable distance” between sites.