The Isle of Wight Council has some of the most expensive parking charges compared to nearby mainland local authorities but, despite this, the Council still may not make as much money as it hoped this year.
Parking charges rose again on the Island in July, following increases in previous years, as a way of making money for the Isle of Wight Council. When the fees increased, there was a public outcry with many Islanders saying it was cheaper to park on the mainland and 1 said ‘we’re being bugged off!’.
Comparing figures, the Isle of Wight does indeed have some of the most expensive parking fees.
In the heart of Bournemouth town, at Central Car Park, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council charges shoppers £1.80 to park for an hour; £2.90 for 2 hours; £5.20 for 4 hours and £5.80 for up to 24 hours.
In Portsmouth, at The Harbour all-day car park, near Gunwharf Quays, shoppers are charged £1.60 for 1 hour; £2.70 for 2; £4.60 for 4 hours and £12.40 for over 5 hours by Portsmouth City Council.
At the closest long-stay car park to West Quay, Southampton City Council has a tariff which runs from 08:00 to 18:00, with an evening charge of £3 Monday to Saturday from 18:00 to midnight. During the day, shoppers can park from £1 for an hour at The Quays; £2.50 for 2 hours; £4.50 for 4 hours, £6.80 for 6 hours and £8 for over 7 hours.
In Newport, an hour of free parking in 3 long-stay car parks had been introduced to encourage shoppers back into the county town and its High Street. However, in other long-stay car parks in the town, it would cost up to £2.05 for an hour of parking; rising to £3.60 for 2 hours; £6.20 for 2 to 4 hours; and £12.50 for 6 to 10 hours.
The Isle of Wight Council increased parking fees earlier this year in car parks and on-street parking, in most instances by 25p an hour. Despite this, the Council may not make as much money as it hoped this year from car parking fees.
Recent figures from the authority show it could be £293,000 out of pocket if its car parking income does not increase by the end of March 2024.
It won’t come as a surprise for motorists, who are clearly fed up with the higher-than-expected parking charges. On top of the 25p an hour increases, overnight parking is now £2 all year round (from 18:00) and the 12-month All-Island Parking Permit has jumped up 20% from £540 to £648.
So the lesson is surely lower the prices,a pound for every hour, instead of odd amounts.perhaps a maximum of £6 for the day.
Totally agree with you, If the price was lower more people would use them.
Scrap / reduce parking charges along seafromts and raise money from
Parking Permits instead.
Some households on the island own 1 vehicle, some 2, some 3 etc etc
but hardly any households on the Island pay to park, hence some
Households clogging up streets with many vehicles and it makes it
impossible for some households to park their 1 vehicle.
Parking permits would be a much fairer system for everyone and it would also
generate a healthy income for IW Council.
Council car tax policy destroyed the high street should be the headline.
People will park in supermarkets than pay the rip off parking fees.
Look at medina leisure centre prices to park also. You can only charge so much and we are long past that threshold hence the loss of revenue.
What is this Council doing with all the money raised?
Every year the R obbing B’ stards keep increasing our
Council tax, they now also charge us to have a p*ss
20p, 40p, or 50p in sh*thole Sandown.
And they expect people to vote for them.
They are having a laugh.
They make the Great Train Robbers seem honest.
Putting a large percentage in their pension pot’s, paying for the fleet of electric cars and new computer system, air con , and floating bridge and probably the tea /coffee and biscuits as well !!!!
And that’s just for starters…..
Notoriously inefficient, bureaucratic and over staffed; government departments, especially local council’s are the main reason outgoings are so high – we’ve got to pay all those generous salaries and attractive bonuses.
On one occasion I needed to visit the housing dept, I was just amazed to see so many working in that office for just the IoW. What they all find to do beats me – I suppose they invent tasks for themselves, such as extra proceedures to administer and so on…finding new ways to charge, tax or fine us and that requires more officials too !
– And so the show goes on..
Wasting it on projects like Ryde Esplanade.
Not to mention the Island charges one of the most expensive
Cou cil taxes in England.
Who runs the Island Fagin
if it was me in charge I would you a simple math equation which is CHARGE LESS get MORE
charge less for parking will see more cars use the areas thus getting more income…its simple really not rocket science
The council can’t be surprised that the high streets are no more due to the price of parking it’s a absolute joke , stop robbing the public with everything and do us a favour and cut your bonuses to make the shortfall you say you need to make. No wonder people just shop online these days. What a joke of a council
The big wigs in the council probly need new cars !!!
Drop the price
More people will use them
The revenue will go up
Its not rocket science
Reaches the point when people stop parking so the money goes down.
Visited Buckingham in the summer- 50p for three hours and £2.50 for the entire day.
What ever your views in an area like the island where most of the population live outside the few towns and as a result are totally dependent on motor vehicles to get around,,therefore car parking charges becomes another tax, its ok to spend six figure sums on skate parks and spend tens of thousands on sending council staff and councillors to the scottish islands in five star hotels for a conference or continue to poor good moneyy after bad on the chain ferry but not to freeze or abolish car parking charges.
IE – would it be possible when you run articles such as this to include links/email addresses to the relevant council department? This way we could actually liaise directly with the people who, seemingly, have little to no grasp with regards to business and economic decision making?
The free hour parking is, to be fair, an excellent idea which I use on a regular basis however the rest of the charges are ridiculous? Free for first hour…then £1 for the second. Then £3 for 2-3 and so on and so forth. You have to make it attractive to people to get them to come.
They could run as a pilot scheme even? That way if it didn’t work the Council could at least say “..well we tried what you all suggested and it didn’t work..”
I bet the two quid bus fares are taking money from the car parks.
£6.50 or so for 4 hours parking in Ryde today. No wonder the high street is dying.
You can’t compare prices to the mainland . You think it’s expensive here then go to Brighton . Although I don’t agree with the cost of parking , it’s way over the top but no where near the extortionate prices over there .
But do Brighton charge persons to park 24/7 365 days a year?
The Island does!
Even khan’s London don’t!
Stop ripping off the motorist to pay for your incompetence. Sell the floating bodge you fools.
The frustration is that it costs enough to get started driving on the roads, and it’s just a bloody insult/liberty that it costs so much to stop!!
I have just been on the island for a week and really noticed the jump in parking charges. We went to the cinema in Ryde and the cost was over £6 in a local car park where at 3pm in the afternoon we experienced some unpleasantries from youths which was quite frightening.
it is easy to see that places like Godshill with the free parking get the monopoly on the customers in the first tea room (owned by the same) which is a no brainer), Oasis being the same.
we always park outside the centre for Shanklin, but to pop in for a drink costs a fortune.
Wildheart formerly the zoo also has parking charges outside and people may pop in the shop/cafe only if this was free.
With all the uk you went to the isle of Wight for a week and you even went to the drug town of ryde never mind you learnt your lesson for next time
Sadly there is no law and order on the island anymore.
The High Street shops have been gradually closing down due to among other things high parking charges so the council has also lost out on just the parking charges but also the Council Tax / Rates on these properties.
Their answer to this is ‘Hit the motorist with higher parking charges’ I think they had better look elsewhere as to when and how money is being wasted on other causes and how to raise funds from other sources.