Parking charge rises planned at seaside resorts

A seaside council is proposing to increase parking charges at several locations.

Free parking in the winter and overnight would end on the high-end Sandbanks peninsula, as well as on some other roads in Poole, Dorset.

Elsewhere, a summer day's parking on the seafront at Boscombe Undercliff could rise from £19.10 to £28.

Liberal Democrat-led Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council said the changes would "manage rising costs at a time of ongoing financial pressures".

In its consultation document, the council said: "We are proposing to introduce a small winter charge on a limited number of Poole on‑street parking roads that have previously been free during the winter, to bring them into line with parking charges in the surrounding area.

"We are also proposing to increase and simplify tariffs at Undercliff Drive car park."

Previously, summer parking on Undercliff Drive was priced according to time of arrival.

The proposal to charge per hour instead could reduce a two-hour afternoon stay from £13 to £7.70.

In Poole, the parking changes would affect all roads on Sandbanks, as well as Chaddesley Glen, Western Road, Haven Road (Upper) and Brudenell Road.

A new winter tariff would run from 1 November to 14 March, with drivers paying £1.80 for up to an hour and £3.90 for anything over an hour until 22:00 GMT.

From 15 March to 31 October, the council wants to introduce a new six-hour charge at £19.10 and a £25 charge for up to 14 hours.

Parking overnight would cost £3.50 instead of being free.

Conservative councillor John Challinor told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the proposal was "short-sighted".

He said: "I doubt they've considered the impact that these charges will have on local businesses that rely on visitors and staff being able to park in these roads, especially during the off-season when trade is more variable."

Lib Dem Richard Herrett, in charge of commercial operations, said: "We are committed to protecting essential local services and vulnerable residents and keeping our communities running well.

"To do this, and to ensure our long-term financial stability, we must continue to assess our spending and review how we use resources."

The consultation runs until 29 May.

In 2025, the council trialled higher parking fines near beaches, later calling on the government to make the change permanent.