The AA and RAC have warned that tourists visiting UK seaside resorts are being “held as hostages” by local councils, with the cost of parking more than doubling at many popular destinations while authorities scramble to fill budget shortfalls.
The AA and RAC motoring groups have criticised seaside councils’ decisions to make up budget shortfalls through increased parking charges, warning of the effect price rises will have on local tourism and hospitality businesses.
Research conducted by YourParkingSpace for The i Paper found parking in Salcombe and Dartmouth, for example, has increased from £5 to £10, while visitors to Heacham Beaches are now charged £7 for spaces that were free before March.
“In holiday destinations, they’ve got visitors held as hostages because the tourists have to park somewhere,” said the AA’s head of media Luke Bosdet.
“The bottom line is if money goes into parking, it gets siphoned away from the tourism businesses that rely on the summer money from visitors.”
Barry Island and Penarth have also witnessed recent rate rises, with many formerly free spaces now costing at least £6 for four hours.
In Whitby fees recently rose 10 percent and in Margate they were up 8 percent, while just six hours on the seafront in Bournemouth now costs £21.60.
“Parking has clearly become a big cash generator for councils, with some like South Hams in Devon inventing new ways to make even more money by introducing two-tier pricing with a higher rate for visitors than locals,” said RAC head of policy Simon Williams.
“Given the number of steep price increases brought in this summer, drivers should be prepared for some shocks when they go to park at some of the country’s biggest tourist hotspots.”
The great British seaside parking scandal
RAC said… “Given the number of steep price increases brought in this summer, drivers should be prepared for some shocks when they go to park at some of the country’s biggest tourist hotspots…
