Issue - meetings

Car Park Fees & Charges

Meeting: 01/12/2025 - Cabinet (Item 82)

The hourly Car Park charges were last revisited during the budget setting process for the 2025/2026 year. The decision list of Cabinet meeting held on 4 November 2025 states that the charges will be revisited as part of the budget setting process for 2026/2027 – this report looks into the charges for car parks and season tickets pricing for 2026/2027.

The Council operates its car parks with 3 different rates which are dependent on where the car park is located. There is the standard rate for the inland car parks (mainly used by our residents), the resort rate for the car parks located in our resorts but not alongside the beaches and the coastal rate for the car parks that are the nearest the beaches and which are predominantly used by tourists and visitors. The Council also provides the option to purchase season tickets.

This report provides details about the current car park fees and charges, and then the options for increases.

Options considered

Car Parking Charges

· Option 1: No increase to standard car parking up to and including 24 hour tariffs but increase car parking fees for resort and coastal car in line with CPI inflation of 3.8%.

· Option 2 increase car parking fees by 2%.

· Option 3 increase car parking fees by 5.8% (CPI+2%).

· Option 4 no increase applied to car parking for the financial year beginning 1 April 2026.

Season Ticket Charges

· Option 5 no increase applied to the season tickets for the financial year beginning 1 April 2026.

· Option 6 increase season ticket fees by 3.8%.

· Option 7 increase season ticket fees by 2.0%.

· Option 8 increase season ticket fees by 5.8% (CPI+2%).

Consultation(s)

Cllr Lucy Shires - Portfolio Holder for Finance, Estates & Property Services

Recommendations

Cabinet is asked to consider the various options discussed within the report, taking into account any recommendations made by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

The below officer recommendation is as follows:

· Option 1 & Option 6: increase car parking fees and season ticket fees in line with CPI inflation of 3.8%.

· For the Asset Management Officer in consultation with the s151 Officer to proceed with the Consultation in relation to the Off Street Parking Places Order.

Reasons for recommendations

Car parking income represents a significant income source to the Council and as such has a substantial contribution to make to the Council’s long term financial sustainability.

Background papers

None.

Wards affected

All

Cabinet member(s)

Cllr Lucy Shires

Contact Officer

Daniel King

Daniel.King@North-Norfolk.gov.uk

Decision:

Decision

RESOLVED

Resolved to recommend the following to Full Council:

Option 1 & Option 6: increase car parking fees and season ticket fees in line with CPI inflation of 3.8%.

Resolved to agree that

The Asset Management Officer, in consultation with the s151 Officer, to proceed with the Consultation in relation to the Off Street Parking Places Order.

Reason for the decision:

Car parking income represents a significant income source to the Council and as such has a substantial contribution to make to the Council’s long term financial sustainability

Minutes:

Cllr L Shires, the Portfolio Holder for Finance, Estates & Assets, introduced this item. She began by thanking the Overview & Scrutiny Committee for their lengthy debate on the proposals and said that she welcomed working in partnership with them.

Cllr Shires explained that last year, when car parking charges and season ticket charges were increased on 1^st April, it was with an option to review them this year. The proposed increase sought to cover inflationary cost increases. She added that there was no proposal to increase the charges in the standard car parks in inland towns. She acknowledged the discussions at Overview & Scrutiny Committee about small change (5 pence) increases but ultimately, Members agreed that rounding any increase up, would result in a 5.8% increase overall which was considered to be too high as well as unfairly disadvantaging those paying by app as there was an additional charge already in place for this option. Regarding season ticket prices, Members were supportive of the CPI increase of 3.8%.

It was proposed by Cllr L Shires, seconded by Cllr T Adams and