Parking charges set to rise under council plans

Higher charges for parking at council-run car parks are being proposed as a council tries to bridge a £30m funding gap.

Herefordshire Council, which has already announced a 5% rise in council tax, said at the same time it would look to make the first 30 minutes of parking free at all its sites from April 2026.

An average rise of 8-10% in charges is being planned which a spokesperson claimed would be about 15p extra for an hour's parking.

Fees have not increased since 2023 but the change aas needed due to "the scale of the financial challenge", they added.

They said season tickets would continue to offer about a 57% discount for regular drivers compared with daily charges.

"Had tariffs increased in line with inflation since 2023, the cumulative rise would have been around 17%, so the planned adjustments remain significantly below that level," the spokesperson added.

A statutory notice on the changes is due to be published by the council for 21 days, allowing the rises to come into force from April 2026.

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