Parking times and fees to change from 4 April in South Oxfordshire
Motorists parking in district council car parks in Didcot, Goring, Henley, Thame and Wallingford are being reminded that parking times and fees will change from next week.
From Monday 4 April:
- There will be a new charging period, from 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday*
- There will be a small increase in parking fees*
- New and renewed permits will only be valid for the specific car park for which they are issued and will not be transferable.
*These changes will not apply at Goldsmiths Lane in Wallingford, which is part-owned by Wallingford Town Council and a private developer.
In past years, motorists in the district have benefited from low parking fees. However, costs are increasing and losses have been sustained for the last two years. South Oxfordshire District Council is introducing these changes to help ensure the car parks break even, with the aim of ensuring that car park users cover the cost of the service, rather than the council tax payer.
For more information about the changes, visit southoxon.gov.uk/parkingchanges.
Cllr Sue Cooper, Cabinet Member for Environment, Climate Change and Nature Recovery, at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “If you park in our car parks, from 4 April please make sure you check the charging times and fees as they will have changed.
“The changes we’re making will help us to address the losses from our car parks. If we didn’t do this now, these would continue to grow over the coming years, meaning we’d have to use more public money to subsidise parking across the district.”
“We continue to support shoppers and local businesses by providing an hour’s free parking each day for all motorists. Fees remain low across the district but ideally car park users would cover the cost of the service, rather than the general council tax pay.
“The changes may also help to encourage people to consider more sustainable forms of transport when travelling to the town centres, such as cycling or walking. This would help to improve our health and wellbeing and help us to cut down on harmful vehicle emissions.”