Sunday car parking charges would cause ‘damage’ to town centres

SUNDAY car parking charges would “irrevocably damage” Somerset's town centres, a local church leader has said.

- DANIEL MUMBY Local democracy journalist

Somerset Council held a consultation in September and October on implementing car parking charges ‘on Sundays across the county, aiming to take a “consistent approach to parking” and harmonise the various charges it inherited from the previous councils.

By replicating current parking prices on Sundays, the council estimates that it will raise around £730,000 of additional funding every year, which can be reinvested into different frontline services.

But councillors and a Taunton church leader have warned that implementing the charges could severely damage Somerset’s struggling high streets, with fewer people using the car parks to shop, eat out or attend religious services.

Judith Butler, pastor at Kingdom Faith Church in Taunton, made a plea against the charges when the council's climate and place scrutiny committee met in the county town on Wednesday (November 19).

She said: “The findings of the public consultation are overwhelmingly in disagreement with the proposals, with almost 93 per cent [of respondents] either disagreeing or strongly disagreeing.

“Our congregation of about 200 people, along with many other neighbouring congregations, use the multi-storey car park on High Street and The Crescent car park throughout the week, and obviously on Sunday mornings.

“We regularly draw people in from Bridgwater, Yeovil, Chard, Ilminster, Hemyock, Tiverton, Wellington, Langford Budville and even as far as Minehead - who come not just to attend the church but then to do their grocery shopping and have lunch or shop in general in the town.