Plans to end free parking in Midsomer Norton and Radstock have been watered down after a public outcry, and plans to charge motorbikes and scooters to park have been scrapped altogether.
Bath & North East Somerset Council announced last December that it was planning to roll out emissions-based parking charges, like in Bath, to the free car parks in Midsomer Norton and Radstock and make motorbikes pay for parking too.
But Midsomer Norton locals warned it would “kill the town” and local councillor Shaun Hughes (Midsomer Norton North, Independent) called the charges “a tax on the poor”.
Now the council has said that the charges will come into force in January 2025 but that changes have been made following public feedback.
Charges for Midsomer Norton and Radstock’s currently free car parks will be lower than what had been proposed, and people will be able to park for free for two hours.
Plans to charge motorbikes for parking have also been dropped. Members of the Motorcycle Action Group had ridden to the district to warn the council that the charges would be “disproportionate” and would see them pay more to park than some more polluting cars.
But the council plans on looking again at charging motorbikes through a separate consultation in future.
The rollout of emissions-based charges and price increases to council-owned car parks in Bath, Keynsham, and Saltford will happen throughout November.
The rollout to on-street paid parking locations in Bath will happen in January 2025.
Councillor Manda Rigby, the council’s cabinet member for highways, said: “We’ve had great feedback from our consultation, and I’d like to thank all those that took the time to share their views with us.
“We’ve listened and made changes to what was originally put forward and will now introduce two hours free parking in Midsomer Norton and Radstock car parks with a reduced tariff for longer stays.
“Currently there will be no parking charges for motorbikes. These changes reflect our policy and also show we listen and adapt proposals in light of feedback, and do not have a one size fits all mentality when it comes to the implementation of our schemes.”
Parking at Midsomer Norton’s South Road car park and the Church Street and Waterloo Road car parks in Radstock will cost 10p less than parking in Keynsham. Three hours parking will cost between £1.20 and £1.80, depending on how polluting your vehicle is.
You do not need to know your vehicle’s emissions to park. Pay and display machines look up a vehicle’s emissions from the DVLA and charge based on how much carbon is emitted or, if this information is not available, the capacity of the engine.
Emissions-based parking was first introduced in car parks in Bath in September 2023, intending to tackle air quality issues in the city.
Despite the changes to the plan, Mr Hughes said the council were still “not listening”.
He said: “The public have made it clear. Over 4,000 responses that they don’t want the parking changes — it will damage the town — and they have just ignored it.”
4,322 people responded to the council’s consultation on the parking charges, as well as two signed petitions.
80% of respondents said they were opposed to rolling out emissions-based parking charges to all council paid for parking.
The highest levels of opposition were for parking charges to be rolled out to the free car parks in Midsomer Norton and Radstock, where 82% and 80% respectively of respondents were opposed to charges being introduced.
Just 7% supported it in the two car parks. Other proposals faced less opposition. Only 55% of people said they were opposed to motorbikes being charged to park, while 22% were in favour of the move.
77 per cent of respondents expressed concerns about air quality and its impact on health, while 58% felt it important to tackle and improve air quality.
Councillor Rigby added: “Air quality in Bath and North East Somerset is improving, we know it’s a concern for people living here and the changes we’re making to parking charges is another step to improve further.
“While targets and legal levels exist for air pollution, there is no safe limit. We want to reduce congestion, change behaviours and encourage more sustainable ways to travel.”
John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter
