Parking charges increase for first time in 15 years
Mid Suffolk councilA town will see parking charges increase for the first time in 15 years, a council has ruled.
The rise will apply to Stowmarket's long-stay car parks and was part of a list of changes approved at a meeting of Mid Suffolk District Council's cabinet this morning.
It will see the all-day charges up 50p to £3 - the charges having not changed since they were first introduced in 2011.
Councillor Teresa Davis, the council's lead for thriving communities, said the changes were being brought in to maintain adequate parking provision amid ongoing growth in the town.
'We listened'
Davis said: "Stowmarket is a lovely place to visit, live and work. While change isn't easy, we feel these changes and tweaks are a comprehensive way of showing we listened."
A new free parking period of at least four hours was also agreed and will be introduced across the town's short-stay car parks after midday on market days.
The council said it would explore expanding the free offer to cover the entire afternoon, up to 18:00, when charges no longer apply, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Davis said the new free period would "show off our growing market" and encourage visitors.
The council's changes could cost up to £465,000 in total, with the bulk of the money to be spent implementing a new residents' parking zone, subject to a formal consultation being conducted by Suffolk County Council.
Councillor Andrew Mellen, the authority's leader, added: "This is a series of minor changes but is really well thought through and we just need to implement it and see how it lands – I think it will make a difference."
Other changes include bringing charging hours forward 30 minutes, from Monday to Saturday, between 8am and 6pm, reducing three-hour charges to £1.50, down 50p, and introducing a four-hour tariff at £2.
These changes are due to be implemented by the spring next year.
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