Town centre parking charges to rise in February

THE cost of parking in Melksham town centre will rise from the beginning of February.

The inflationary increase will be applied to all parking charges in the Bath Road, Church Street, King Street and Lowbourne, and Union Street car parks from Thursday 1st February.

The decision was made by Wiltshire Council following a recent consultation that saw 63% of those who responded supported the increase.

The cost of parking in the Bath Road car park will rise from 2hrs – £1.10, 3hrs – £2.00, 4hrs – £2.40, 5hrs – £3.20, 8hrs – £5.20, All day – £5.60 to 2hrs – £1.20, 3hrs – £2.20, 4hrs – £2.70, 5hrs – £3.60, 8hrs – £5.80, All Day – £6.30.

The cost of parking in the Church Street car park will rise from 2hrs – £1.20, 3hrs – £2.10 to 2hrs – £1.30, 3hrs – £2.30.

The cost of parking in the King Street and Lowbourne car park will rise from 2hrs – £1.00, 3hrs – £1.80, 4hrs – £2.40, 5hrs – £3.20, All Day – £4.50 to 2hrs – £1.10, 3hrs – £2.00, 4hrs – £2.70, 5hrs – £3.60, All Day – £5.00.

The cost of parking in the Union Street car park will rise from 2hrs – £1.00, 3hrs – £1.80, 4hrs – £2.40, 5hrs – £3.20, All Day – £6.00 to 2hrs – £1.10, 3hrs – £2.00, 4hrs – £2.70, 5hrs – £3.60, All Day – £6.70.

There were around 1,400 responses to the consultation into a review of car parking charges in Wiltshire, aiming to help minimise the impact of funding challenges on public transport and other services. More than six in ten of those who responded stated they thought the increase should come from an inflationary rise over other any alternative.

The increase will also fund investment in customer service – including automatic number plate recognition for residents’ parking zones, static cameras outside schools to improve safety and body-worn cameras.

Bridget Wayman, cabinet member for highways and transport said, “I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to this important consultation, it really has helped us decide on this first option.

“We don’t want to increase parking charges, however they have not increased since 2011 and the cost of operating car parks and public transport is rising. Along with the increasing demand on our budget, we have increased parking charges to mitigate some service reductions.

“It is vital we strike the right balance between covering the increasing costs and supporting local communities. I believe this decision, while extremely difficult, will provide the best result when viewed across all of the services we deliver.”