Some council car park fees to change from April 1

New fees for council car parks and permits in the Vale are being introduced from April 1.

Some of the fees in council car parks on the outskirts of Abingdon and Wantage are being reduced by up to 30 percent while other council car parks in the town centres will see modest increases, along with increases to permit prices. We are also keeping a period of free parking in all the Vale council car parks.

The additional parking income means we aim to match the cost of managing and running our car parks, otherwise we’d have to divert funding from other council services to subsidise car parking.

All funds from council car parking fees and permits are invested back into providing the service and making improvements to car parks, highways, public conveniences and public open spaces, as well as developing infrastructure to encourage active travel – such as cycle paths and bike storage.

Parking for the first hour remains free in all Abingdon, Wantage and Faringdon council car parks.

Councillor Mark Coleman, Vale of White Horse District Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environmental Services and Waste, said: “We are always aware of the fine balance between supporting local businesses, encouraging people to use sustainable transport rather than cars, and the cost of living crisis.

“We believe these increases are as reasonable as possible for everyone.

“We continually review fees to ensure car parks meet the differing needs of our communities and supports the local economy, while also contributing to tackling the climate emergency by encouraging a switch to low or zero emission vehicles and more sustainable forms of transport.”

There is a growing body of evidence that shows the number of car parking spaces available is a bigger factor in encouraging people to a town centre than the price of parking.

Research shows customers value the certainty of being able to park when and where they want to, and convenience is a quality for which most people are willing to pay.

It also shows that while business owners believe that as cost increases, footfall decreases, in fact, the towns/cities with the highest footfall generally have higher than average parking charges.

Furthermore, fair car park charges can help ensure that parking spaces frequently turn over, increasing overall footfall.

You can see the full fees on our parking policy webpage.