A local campaigner has warned that proposed increases of around 50% in local parking charges risk driving visitors away from Cheddar and putting further pressure on local businesses.
Graham Godwin-Pearson, a local resident from Axbridge, raised concerns with Somerset Council over its countywide parking review, questioning how much consideration had been given to the individual circumstances of communities such as Cheddar.
He highlighted the limited public transport alternatives available to many people travelling into the village and warned that higher charges could push more vehicles onto residential streets while deterring some visitors altogether.
Graham Godwin-Pearson said:
“In July, the Executive Member for Transport told me that the Parking Review has taken into consideration local circumstances, rather than being a one-size-fits-all approach.
“Looking at the report, however, it very much seems that instead of a one-size-fits-all, it’s a five-tiers-fit-all approach, and I don’t see much consideration of local circumstances.
“In Cheddar this amounts to a proposed increase of roughly 50%, which is significant given that there’s scant public transport alternative for those too far, too young or too frail to walk or cycle into the village.
“My prediction is that more drivers will park on residential streets, while some visitors will be deterred altogether, and that’s the bit that worries me the most. We need to be bringing visitors in, not putting them off.
“Has the Council engaged ward members, parish and town councils, local businesses and residents on the increases? And should the community roundly reject the proposals, will the Council trust that locals know their areas better than external consultants and not press ahead?”
Responding, Lead Member for Highways and Transport Cllr Richard Wilkins acknowledged there was “a great deal of interest and concern” about the proposed parking changes and said the Council was seeking to establish a fair and consistent charging structure across Somerset.
He confirmed that any changes would be subject to a statutory consultation, allowing specific concerns to be considered before charges are introduced. Asked whether the Council would abandon the proposals if they were rejected locally, Cllr Wilkins said he could not predetermine the outcome of that consultation.
The concerns come amid growing opposition to Somerset Council's proposed parking changes across the county. Somerset Conservatives have launched a Stop the Parking Hike campaign calling on the Council to rethink the proposals, including Sunday charging and significant increases in parking tariffs.
Conservative councillors have also challenged the Council over the impact the proposals could have on individual town centres, after officers confirmed at scrutiny that they had not carried out individual impact assessments for each town.
