Parking fee rises come into force

Car parking rises came into force in Bath and Keynsham on Tuesday, with season tickets rising sharply.

Hourly charges for council car parks in Bath have gone up by 10p an hour, with a one-hour visit jumping from £1.60 to £1.70, and a four-hour stay increasing from £6.40 to £6.80. People parking from 8pm to 8am will have to pay a £1.50 overnight charge.

Council car parks in Keynsham now cost 30p for each hour of a stay, meaning a two hour ticket has gone up from 40p to 60p and a four hour ticket from 90p to £1.20.

The most dramatic increases are to the cost of season tickets for parking. Bath and North East Somerset Council has indicated that season tickets for Charlotte Street, Avon Street, and Manvers Street now cost £222.30 a month.

This means users of Avon Street and Manvers Street car parks will pay about £51 more a month but, for people who have had Monday to Friday tickets for non-reserved spaces at the more affordable car park at Charlotte Street, it is an increase of £105.

The price of a season ticket valid all seven days of the week at Charlotte Street will more than

double from £135.58 to £337.16. An annual ticket will go from £1,633.50 to over £4,045.86.

All reserved spaces at the car park are also being returned to general use. Season tickets of all lengths for Keynsham long stay have roughly doubled in price.

The changes also see the scrapping of the 10% parking discount for Bath and North East Somerset residents and introduce charges for people parking at park and rides but not using the bus.

It will cost £1 to leave your car at a park and ride for an hour, or £2 for 24 hours, but parking will remain free for people using the park and ride bus.

The cost of a permit for residents’ car parks will rise to £237.75 and the Southview Road car park in Oldfield Park will also become residents only.

Manda Rigby, B&NES Council’s cabinet member for transport, said: “These are relatively small changes and only the second time in 12 years that they have increased.

“We want to help shift the way people get around to encourage more walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport, especially for shorter journeys, as part of our Journey to Net Zero ambitions. Thank you to everyone who shared their views in the public consultation.”