Parking charges on the Isle of Wight will rise again in the coming months. The move was approved by the Isle of Wight council last week ahead of its final budget-setting process in February.
It is the third time in three years that prices have been raised by the authority to generate additional income.
Come into force in April
The new charges will come into force from April and see prices increase by 10p an hour.
Isle of Wight councillors do have the right to ‘call-in’, or effectively challenge, the decision that was made, pausing their implementation, but must do so before 1st February 2024.
£2.45 an hour on some streets
When the increase is enforced it will mean parking for up to an hour on some Island streets could cost you £2.45, or £4.90 for up to two hours.
In a long-stay car park, parking for up to two hours could cost £3.80.
Parking permits
The council has also agreed to increase the charges for some residential and tourist parking permits.
The price of an All Island Permit — which allows people to park for 24 hours in most of the council’s long-stay car parks — will increase by 20 per cent.
It will increase the cost of the permit from £648 a year to nearly £780.
The council believes it could make another £431,867 a year from the increased prices.
Parking on Union Street
The authority has also agreed to introduce parking charges on Union Street, in Newport, which currently allows motorists to park for free for an hour.
The council says it has brought in the charges to ensure a consistent approach with parking fees, as you have to pay to park in the neighbouring New Street.
The authority says it is required to generate additional income in 2024/25, and the parking costs would help meet general inflationary costs, cover the costs of enforcement and the maintenance of parking equipment.
Necessary increases
Without the increases, the council has warned it would need to make further reductions across its highways and transport activities.
Public notices will be published in the coming months laying out the increase in charges.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
