Have your say on proposed Melksham car park charges increase

Residents are invited to have their say on proposed changes to car park charges in Melksham, including higher parking fees, longer chargeable hours, and new Sunday tariffs.

Wiltshire Council is proposing the changes for all council-owned car parks, including those in Melksham.

Plans include an average 20% rise in parking charges in 2026, followed by a further 5% increase in 2028, an extension of chargeable parking hours to 7am–7pm, and changes to Sunday parking charges to bring them in line with weekend rates.

In Melksham, one-hour parking would increase from 30p–40p to 50p–60p per hour. All-day parking would rise from £6.00–£7.70 to £7.10–£9.10.

Cllr Ian Thorn, Leader of Wiltshire Council, said, “While we recognise that any proposed tariff rises are not always popular, we have benchmarked these charges to ensure they remain competitive with other areas in the region, and we have not raised parking charges since 2022, so we believe that this is a fair and measured approach.

“However, it is important to note that this will be a consultation and no decision has been made. I’d encourage as many people as possible to take part in the consultation when it opens.”

Full details of the proposed charges for Melksham car parks can be found in the TRO advert on page 31 or at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/troconsultations.

The consultation begins on Thursday 9th April and closes on Wednesday 5th May. To have your say, email TrafficOrderConsultations@wiltshire.gov.uk or respond via the Wiltshire Council website quoting reference WILTS/TRO/Parking.