Thanet council is expected to reduce the fee for the first hour of parking at seasonal car parks across the isle – but the daily charge will remain the same.
The £4 charge for the first hour parking in sites including Albion Street in Broadstairs and Marina Esplanade in Ramsgate, will reduce to £2.50.
But each hour after that is due to be increased from £2 to £2.50 and the charge for five hours or more will remain at £12.
The reduced charge for the first hour applies to Albion Street, Broadstairs, Marina Esplanade, Ramsgate, Chandos Square, Broadstairs. Joss Bay and the council-owned car park at Dreamland.
Charges per hour are due to be rounded up to a 10p denomination from 5p.
Free car parking is still available on Saturdays in Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate. In Broadstairs this has changed from Vere Road to St Peter’s Park Road.
In Ramsgate it is at Cannon Road and in Margate free Saturday parking is at Mill Lane multi-storey.
Areas including Lawn Road in Broadstairs will remain at last year’s rates, while charges at St Mildred’s Bay have been reduced by £1 per hour.
Annual residents parking permits will see a rise of £4, up to £74.
Many charges, including stray dog fees, will remain frozen.
The new fees and charges, which will need to be approved by Full Council on December 6, are expected to bring additional income of £189,000 for the authority.
Additional annual income of £189.000, TDC will spend it wisely on absolutely fuck all, ive got my fingers crossed please let it be a roundabout……………
Glad that we moved! Those prices are iniquitous.
I had an appointment in Broadstairs and was astounded to find it would cost £4.40 to park for 2 hours on the high street. I visited the beautiful town of Rye the weekend before and enjoyed a lovely day walking around the shops along with lunch at a cost of £2.50 for all day parking. Our ridiculous parking costs just put people off visiting or coming back to our fabulous coastal towns.
During the summer, the Marina car park at Ramsgate was full every weekend. The evidence suggests that the parking charges did not put people off.
So were the car parks in Broadstairs, as they will be in high season as parking spaces are limited.That does not though apply to early and late season, nor does it take into account those that will not revisit because of the charges, nor the affect on spend in shops and cafes etc (I am not spending more money after paying that price to park)
I didn’t notice the Royal Victoria Pavilion to be particularly empty. On the other hand, I don’t notice too many people who’ve come down for a day on the beach do a great deal of shopping in the town. They tend to stay on the beach, and eat picnics they’ve brought with them.
Out of season the charges come down.
I’d have thought parking charges were a very small part of the general costs of car ownership.