Parking in the Peak District to cost up to 16% more after hike

THE price of parking in the Peak District is to be increased – and more car parks will have charges.

Fees could be increased by 16 per cent, however, the price of annual visitor permits are to go up by 65 per cent – from £40 to £66.

The price of an hour’s parking would go up from £1.50 to £1.75 while the cost of all-day parking would rise from £4.75 to £5.50.

The combination of increased charges and extra paid-for car parks is to bring in extra annual income of more than £250,000.

Peak District National Park Authority leadership says the fees would be in line with nearby council areas, while the annual permit would remain far lower, despite the hike.

Additional income would be used for maintenance to the sites, along with upkeep of public toilets and the numerous cycle and walking trails.

An extra 13 car parking sites could now be charged, out of 44 operated by the authority.

This would mean 31 sites would be charged, with 13 still free. The cost to the authority of the changes would be £113,000.

Authority leadership says the likely hiked prices and extra charged car parks would not come into play for more than a year and would include public consultation. Parking prices in the Peaks have not been increased for five years.

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 in

parking pricing was “overdue”, saying: “The provision that we have got in the national park is really essential for supporting visitors, providing that welcome and allowing people to come and enjoy the place.

“The 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 visitors will consider their travel decisions in a bit more detail and might be encouraged to move towards a more sustainable transport solution.”

Helen Carrington, a conservation officer at the authority, said the prices would not see it “sticking out as somebody who wants to charge lots”, though Cllr Charlotte Farrell said: “What is the point in having a beautiful Peak District which is just covered in coloured metal boxes (pay-and-display parking machines)?”

Cllr Gill Heath said the charges would displace traffic in the villages and added: “Villages in the south Peak are really suffering.”

Cllr Andrew Mccloy said the increase in permit prices were too high and said there were enormous problems with visitor parking in Youlgreave.

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

She said 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.