(Article updated 7 August 2024 to include SPC’s resolved response to the consultation – see last section of page)
B&NES Council has opened a public consultation on parking charges in B&NES, which includes proposals for the B&NES Council car park in Saltford on The Shallows.
The consultation only applies to The Shallows car park. It does not include any proposals for the B&NES Council Wedmore Road car park near Saltford Hall, at which will remain free for users to park. The car park by the parade of shops adjacent to the A4 Bath Road is also not included in any consultation proposals.
The consultation opened on 11 July and will close at 5pm on 8 August 2024. Saltford Parish Council will look to resolve its response to this consultation at its Tuesday 6 August full council meeting. Residents are welcome to attend and speak at the meeting. Information about SPC’s meetings can be found on our ‘Meetings – Agendas and Minutes‘ page.
For details about proposals for charges at the car park in Saltford, visit B&NES Council’s Parking charge review 2024/25 consultation page and click on the drop down menu for ‘Saltford’. Other locations in the B&NES Council area for similar proposals are also listed on this page, as well as additional information about the consultation.
Residents can respond to the consultation at https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/form/parking-charge-consultation
Details on the page for Saltford are as follows:
The proposed emissions-based charging structure for The Shallows car park, Saltford, would apply from October 2024.
The additional charge for diesel-fuelled vehicles will be £0.30 for short-duration stays of up to 3 hours.
In addition to the proposed introduction of emission-based charges, we are proposing to increase the hourly charge for the least polluting vehicles in The Shallows car park by:
- £0.10 per hour in October 2024
- £0.10 per hour in October 2025
The charge for more polluting vehicles will increase by at least the same amount and in line with our principles of emissions-based charges.
Charges would continue to apply 7 days a week from 1 April to 30 September.
View the proposed charges
- View the current Saltford carpark charges
- View the proposed Saltford car park charges for October 2024
- View the proposed Saltford car park charges for October 2025
Photo above shows sign at the car park with current payment information, with a new pay and display machine added further to MiPermit options via phone and app.
B&NES Council’s notice of consultation are on display at The Shallows car park
B&NES Council’s press release as follows:
A range of parking charge proposals, including the introduction of emission-based parking charges to all council-owned car parks where the scheme currently doesn’t operate and on-street pay and display locations in Bath, are being consulted on.
A review of parking charges across Bath & North East Somerset was agreed earlier this year as part of the council’s budget.
Now people are being asked to comment on the wider roll-out of the proposals which aim to improve air quality through a major shift to sustainable transport, walking and cycling and incentives to reduce the use of more polluting vehicles.
Under the proposed changes all parking charges would see a modest increase over the next two years, as well as the introduction of parking charges for motorbikes.
Emission-based parking charges were introduced in the council’s Bath car parks last year and the council is proposing a wider roll out of the scheme at all its other car parks and on-street pay and display locations in Bath.
Residents are being asked to have their say in the consultation, which closes at 5pm 8 August. To take part in the consultation please go to the council’s website. The council will consider the feedback to this proposal before making the final decision about whether to implement it as council policy.
B&NES Council’s Councillor Manda Rigby, cabinet member for Transport said: “Our review of parking charges across Bath and North East Somerset was agreed in February as part of setting the council’s budget for the coming financial year. We are now asking for people’s comments on the wider roll out of proposed emission-based charges across Bath and North East Somerset
“Our aim is to improve air quality, reduce congestion and encourage other ways to travel across Bath & North East Somerset and these proposals would be another step in the right direction to achieve this.
“We know the effect pollutants from vehicle emissions have, and this is one of a number on policies we’ve implemented to improve air quality and encourage more people to use sustainable transport, like Bath’s Clean Air Zone and our Liveable Neighbourhoods.”
A full breakdown of the proposed charges can be seen on the B&NES council’s consultation webpage.
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Saltford Parish Council resolves its response to the consultation (article updated 7 August): At its August Full Council (extra ‘ordinary’) meeting, SPC resolved the following response to the B&NES Council consultation:
Further to the response submitted to the B&NES Council Budget Consultation in January 2024 (see SPC’s January 2024 minutes, Item 26) relating to proposals to introduce ‘inflationary price rises, alongside the introduction of emission-based parking charges for all vehicles to all locations in Bath (on and off street), Keynsham, Saltford’ etc, the Council resolved its response to the B&NES Council Parking Charge Review consultation (including emissions based charging) as follows:
Saltford Parish Council (SPC), in responding to the consultation, understands that charges apply only to existing B&NES Council ‘pay to park’ car parks, and in the case of Saltford that the consultation applies only to The Shallows car park (as the sole location in Saltford where parking charges apply). Saltford Parish Council wishes to make B&NES Council aware that it is strongly of the opinion that no parking charges (including emissions based charging) should be introduced at any other B&NES Council car parks and/or marked parking bays in Saltford.
Saltford Parish Council views the proposed increase of 10p in 2024 (during the ‘pay for parking’ period of 1 April to 30 September) and of 10p in 2025 (during the ‘pay for parking’ period) as reasonable in light of the resource required for B&NES Council to actively manage the car park, with particular recognition towards to the costs to B&NES Council of regular visits from B&NES Parking Enforcement Officers and the maintenance of B&NES Council’s new solar powered pay-and-display machine. SPC acknowledges that the current parking charges of 30p/60p/90p (as set when paid-for-parking was first introduced) as generally reasonable and as such the 10p year-on-year increment for 2024 and 2025 as appropriate increase.
However, SPC objects to proposals for the introduction of emissions based charging (in addition to an increase in parking fees should this go ahead) by at least the same amount (10p p.h) and/or in line with B&NES Council’s principles of emissions-based charges.
As submitted in its January 2024 B&NES Council Budget consultation, Saltford Parish Council acknowledges that cleaner (lower emission) vehicles are required. However it recognises that The Shallows car park in Saltford, unlike many other B&NES Council car parks, is primarily for recreational use by those seeking to enjoy Saltford’s natural environment and historic conservation area. As such, charges should not discriminate against low income residents and visitors who are less likely to drive newer vehicles with cleaner exhausts.
Saltford Parish Council views that by making users of vehicles with dirtier exhausts pay more to park at The Shallows car park (albeit a smaller incremental amount due to the comparatively low charge compared to other B&NES Car Parks) this could increase visitor parking on the nearby narrow highway where permitted, which is already heavily in demand by residents (many of whom do not have access to off-street parking). This could also raise concerns about the impact on local air quality.
Saltford Parish Council views that it is for the Government to create the economic conditions and incentives for people to transition to cleaner vehicles, not local car parking policies at recreational locations.