Car park charges in Aylesbury Vale set to rise if council budget is approved

Car parking charges in Aylesbury Vale and wider Bucks are set to rise in the new financial year, if Buckinghamshire Council’s budget is approved.

Ward councillor for Buckingham West, Robin Stuchbury, raised the issue at this week’s meeting of Bucks Council’s Budget Scrutiny Inquiry Task and Finish Group.

Paperwork attached to the meeting states that: “Off-street and on-street parking are proposed to be increased by 10p and 20p respectively.”

There is also a suggestion that parking charges in different towns, which were historically put in place by four different district councils, could in future be ‘harmonised’, making them more consistent across the whole county.

The paperwork states: “An element of consistency has also been applied in some areas, where some places have charges until 6pm and are free to park on Sundays, whilst other areas charges are in place until 9pm and seven days a week.

"The consistency approach enables fairness so customers using car parks pay the same value per required session, irrespective of what time of day they park. It also assists in managing supply and demand and volume of traffic in an area.”

Ward councillor for The Risboroughs, Matthew Walsh, observed: “In Buckingham, Cllr Stuchbury would pay 60 pence for up to three hours car parking. I would pay 60 pence for 30 minutes in Princes Risborough.

"So when we’re looking at the potential for raising income in the future, I think we need to look across the whole of Buckinghamshire and ensure our fees are equal and level.”

Cllr Steven Broadbent, cabinet member for transport, said the 10p and 20p rises to off-street and on-street parking will come into effect in the new financial year if the council’s budget is approved.

But he said there would be public consultation before any ‘long-term change to the structure of the tariffs’ takes place.

He said: “Should there be in due course any suggested changes to tarriff structure, rather than just the values… if there were any proposals on that on a one-by-one basis, that would then be consulted on publicly.”