Mid Devon reviews increases to parking prices after backlash

A council has agreed to review "eye-watering" increases to parking charges after backlash from residents.

Mid Devon District Council proposed more than doubling some charges from 7 March to generate additional income of £120,000.

The cost of an annual allocated space permit was due to rise from £425 to £912.50.

The proposal also would have seen hourly tariffs increase by varying amounts.

Councillors agreed to halt the process and review the increases at a full council meeting on Wednesday, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

One of the speakers, Kate Clayton-White, who rents an allocated parking space, told councillors the increases were unaffordable for some.

She said: "The decision to raise car parking charges by eye-watering amounts is very hard to swallow and, for some people, unaffordable."

Jo Webber, the owner of Tiverton store Jo Amor, said she was concerned the increases would deter tourists.

She said: "Is Mid Devon totally unaware that the UK is going through a cost-of-living crisis?

"A car park is the first port of call for any tourist or new shoppers to Tiverton. What sort of welcome is that?"

Business owner Sophia Beard, speaking as a representative of the Tiverton town centre partnership, said there had been a lack of consultation on the plans.

"There is no way for me to impress upon you the strength of feeling that there has been since this news arrived - all to the negative," she said.

Defending the increases when they were announced, the council said it was due to government cuts, its "continued recovery" from the pandemic and the "rise in costs of materials".

After hearing community concerns, councillors agreed to halt the planned increases subject to the review, meaning much of the expected £120,000 additional income for the budget could now have to be found elsewhere.

Parking charges are instead now likely to rise in line with inflation, but this will have be agreed by councillors at a meeting in the near future.

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