Free parking across three towns near Bristol in North Somerset is set to end — in a move which caused a split in the rainbow coalition running North Somerset Council.
Council leader Mike Bell told the meeting: “No none of us gets elected to cut services or increase charges on our residents. Nobody delights in that but we do have a duty to be honest about the situation and sometimes that means we must tell our community things that they don’t want to hear.
“We cannot afford to provide free parking in the way we did in the past. We cannot justify subsidising parking when we are having to cut care services for vulnerable adults and children.”
The council executive passed the plans to introduce parking charges in Clevedon, Nailsea, and Portishead in a tense meeting on Wednesday, October 16, despite warnings from locals that it would hurt local businesses and volunteers. The charges come as the council has warned it needs to find millions to avoid issuing a section 114 notice, effectively declaring bankruptcy.
Cllr Bell said he was not arguing that it was “absolutely the right thing to do” or that the parking charges would have no negative effects, but said he thought it was a decision the council executive could not “keep avoiding.”
But the council’s executive member for adult services and stronger economies broke ranks to vote against the plans. Roger Whitfield (Portishead East) is a member of the Portishead Independents who, along with the Liberal Democrats, Labour, and Greens, are part of the partnership administration which has run North Somerset Council since 2023’s local elections.
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In a long speech, he told councillors: “There can be no doubt that this council is facing unprecedented financial challenges which need to be met with a number of issues, but I fear that this proposal for parking charges has been rushed through as a quick solution to these problems with insufficient research into the potential issues caused.”
Interrupting half way into Cllr Whitfield’s 20 minute speech, Mr Bell told him: “You are a member of the executive and you have been part of all the conversations on this.”
Hannah Young (Clevedon East, Labour) also sits on the executive and represents a town affected by the parking charges but said the council was “between a rock and a hard place” and she would be supporting the proposal.
She warned that if the council had to issue a section 114 notice, the government would take over its decision making and doubtless impose more “heavy handed” parking charges. She said: “It is a difficult decision. I don’t want to have to make it. But we are put in our position to make decisions for people.”
The council executive voted 7-1 to introduce the charges, with only Cllr Whitfield voting against. The charges will be rolled out in stages, with the first introduced in February.
In most car parks affected, it will cost £1 to park for an hour, £1.50 to park for two hours, £2.50 for three hours, and £3.50 for all day. But car parks at the Portishead Lake grounds and some of the on-street parking in Clevedon will cost more.
Six people involved in volunteering, independent businesses, and town councils in Clevedon and Portishead spoke at the meeting to urge the council to drop the plans.
David Sims of Books on the Hill in Clevedon warned: “The nomination of Hill Road as the only shopping area in Clevedon to have on-street parking charges will have a very negative impact on sustainability and vibrancy of the Hill Road area.”
He warned that businesses would be in trouble if customers stuck to areas with free parking, adding: “Less shops and importantly the demise of independent speciality shops could change the character of Hill Road forever.”
Mr Bell said: “We have tried to listen to feedback and make changes where we can. The proposed on-street locations at Portishead High Street, Clevedon Triangle, and Nailsea High Street have been removed from the scope of the proposals. We have reduced the proposed charges in some locations.”
He added that the council would be willing to work with town councils interested in taking on the running of the car parks. Charges would not apply to emergency services, including people who are volunteering for the RNLI. RNLI volunteers are already exempt from parking charges on Weston-super-Mare seafront where parking charges are already in place.
Despite rebelling, Mr Whitfield plans to remain on the council executive. He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I would like to think that in the partnership administration we have got, there is space for dissenting voices.”
Many councillors representing Clevedon, Nailsea, and Portishead who are not on the executive also attended the meeting in a non-voting capacity. Speaking after the meeting, Luke Smith (Clevedon West, Conservative) added: “It’s narrow minded and there’s no obvious benefit.”
North Somerset Council owns 44 car parks across the district and currently charges in 17. The plans would see charges introduced in eight more, as well as some on street locations, priced differently depending on the type of location they are in. The planned charges are:
Car parks near retail areas
These car parks are: Portishead’s Roath Road car park; Clevedon’s Marson Road, Great Western Road East, and Great Western Road West car parks; and Nailsea’s Station Road and Clevedon Road car parks.
The cost of parking will be:
- 1 hour £1.00
- 2 hours £1.50
- 3 hours £2.50
- All-day £3.50
On-street retail areas
This is the Hill Road area in Clevedon, also covering Alexandra Road, Bellevue Road, and Gardens Road.
The cost of parking will be:
- 30 mins Free
- 1 hour £1.50
- 2 hours £2.50
- 3 hours £3.50
On-street “prime” locations
This will only apply to Elton Road and Old Church Road in Clevedon. There will be different “peak” and “off peak” prices which could be in place on some days.
The cost of parking will be:
Peak charges
- 1 hour £1.50
- 4 hours £5.50
- All-day £9.00
Off-peak charges
- 1 hour £1.50
- 4 hours £3.00
- All-day £5.00
Car parks in “prime” locations
This will apply to the car parks at the Lake Grounds in Portishead.
The cost of parking will be:
Peak charges
- 1 hour £1.50
- 4 hours £5.00
- All-day £8.00
Off-peak charges
- 1 hour £1.50
- 4 hours £2.60
- All-day £4.00
Staying free
Not all car parks will have parking charges introduced. The car parks which will stay free are Portishead’s Avon Way (West Hill), Kilkenny Fields (picnic grounds) and Nore Road car parks; Clevedon’s Coleridge Vale and Layde Bay car parks; and Nailsea’s Clevedon Road car park.
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