Derbyshire car park fees to increase by up to 25per cent in the High Peak and the Peak District

The Labour-controlled authority and other party councillors voted unanimously to approve budget plans on February 21 including fee increases aimed at balancing its budget for the 2024-25 financial year and setting its share of the council tax rate increase at 2.99per cent with a housing rent increase of 7.7per cent.

It is set to implement fee increases from the beginning of the financial year on April 1 for those using council car parks in a move which it regards as necessary due to external financial pressures upon its budget from inflation rates and ongoing uncertainty with Government funding arrangements.

A council spokesperson said: “Charging for local services makes a significant contribution to the council’s finances. The council also uses charging to influence individual choices and behaviour, and to bring other benefits to local communities.”

Parking fees at Buxton’s Market Street, Market Place, The Slopes, Eagle Parade, South Street and Bridge Street will increase from between 16.67per cent to 19.35per cent.

They will include a one-hour stay increase from £1.20 to £1.40, a one-to-two hour stay increase from £1.80 ro £2.10, a two-to-four hour stay increase from £3.10 to £3.70, and over-four hour stays will increase from £3.90 to £4.60.

Buxton’s Sylvan Park car park fees will also increase from between 16,67per cent to 19.35per cent with a one-hour stay increasing from £1.20 to £1.40, one-to-two hours from £1.80 to £2.10, two-to-four hours from £3.10 to £3.70, and over fours from £3.90 to £4.60.

Coaches parking at Sylvan Park will see an increase from £5.40 to £6.30 for up-to-four hours, and from £10.40 to £12.20 for over-four hours, and goods vehicles will have to pay one fee increasing from £6.40 to £7.50.

Motorists parking at Buxton’s Pavilion Gardens will see increases in parking fees of between 12.5per cent and 13.89per cent, with a £1.60 to £1.80 increase for up-to-one hour, £2.20 to £2.50 for one-to-two hours, £3.60 to £4.10 for two-to-four hours, and £5.40 to £6.10 for over-four hours.

Similarly Buxton’s Spring Garden Centre and Wye Street, which does not offer an over-four hour stay, will see the same price increases as the Pavilion Gardens for all other times of between 12.5per cent and 13.89per cent.

Glossop’s Municipal Buildings and Bernard Street car parks will see increases of between 20per cent and 23.08per cent with stays of up-to-one hour increasing from £1 to £1.20, and for one-to-two hours from £1.50 to £1.80, and for two-to-four hours from £2.60 to £3.20.

Edward Street car park, in Glossop, will see the same increases over the same times but it also has an over-four hour stay option which will see a 21.43per cent increase from £2.80 to £3.40.

Car parks at New Mills including Market Street, Torr Top, and the Town Hall, will see increases from between 22per cent to 25per cent with stays of up-to-two hours increasing from 90p to £1.10, and up-to-four hour stays will increase from £2 to £2.50, and over-four hour stays will increase from £2.60 to £3.20.

However, the first hour at all these New Mills car parks will remain free with no charge.

Parking at Castleton, Hope and Edale will see increases of between 12.5per cent and 16per cent with up-to-one hour stays increasing from £1.60 to £1.80, one-to-two hour stays increasing from £2.50 to £2.90, two-to-four-hour stays increasing from £4 to £4.50, over-four hours from £6 to £6.80, and 24 hour stays from £7 to £7.90.

Coaches at car parks in Castleton and Edale will see an increase from £5.50 to £6.20 for up-to-four hours and from £10.50 to £11.90 for over-four hour stays.

Other free car parks in the High Peak including Miry Meadow, and Thornbrook, at Chapel, off Station Road and Albert Street, at Hadfield, the Railway Station, at Whaley Bridge and, and Bingswood, will remain free of charge.

Penalty charge notices ranging from £25 to £70 will not be increased and the Residents Parking Permit, allowing free parking from 8am to 12pm, and from 3pm to 6pm, and all day on Sundays, on any High Peak Borough Council Pay and Display Car Park, will also remain unaltered.

High Peak Borough Council’s Executive stated its financial plans will leave a balanced 2024-25 budget for both revenue and capital with changes to be implemented from April 1 but it has acknowledged, like many councils, there is still uncertainty and risk in future years.

The council is also set to implement a number of other increases in fees and charges across various services from April 1 as part of its budget plan.

High Peak Borough Council’s Carelink sheltered support accommodation service will see increases in charges from 3.3per cent, and up to as much as 130.64per cent for a cleaning service.

Charges for environmental crimes are also to increase by 25per cent for fly-tipping from a domestic property, and by 150per cent for fly-tipping from a vehicle, and by 150per cent for littering and graffiti, and by 525per cent for littering or graffiti from a commercial business.

There will also be some percentage increases to cover environmental health and planning advice costs and some small percentage increases for dealing with waste, cemetery and horticultural costs.

Following the approval of the budget for the 2024-25 financial year, its Medium Term Financial Plan, and all its financial matters, the council can now take a vital step towards finalising and implementing its plans for the pending financial year.

Many other councils nationwide have been facing estimated, multi-million pound budget deficits for the 2024-25 financial year as local authorities have been struggling with inflation rates, the impact of Covid-19, the cost-of-living crisis, rising costs and demands, and uncertainty over Government funding.

However, High Peak Borough Council has successfully set its budget for providing essential services at £13.9m for the coming year and it has agreed to continue support with council tax for households on the lowest incomes.

Cllr Alan Barrow, Executive Councillor for Corporate Services and Finance, said: “The council budget funds the essential everyday services residents, businesses and visitors rely on including waste collections, housing, investing in leisure and well-being facilities, tackling climate change – and all the other priorities we’ve set out in our borough plan.

“We know that people continue to face challenges with their own household finances and the increases in food, fuel and other daily costs. With that in mind, we have given careful consideration to the level at which council tax, and rent for Council tenants, has been set for the coming year.”

Cllr Barrow added: “As ever, we will continue to focus on delivering the value for money, high quality services the High Peak deserves and to actively seek out opportunities to improve efficiency.”

Despite the increases in car parking fees, there will be no increases for council car park season tickets, current free car parks will remain free, and the Residents Parking Permit remains unchanged.

For 2024-25 the total increase in additional income is expected to equate to £100,390 and the new total income under the new fees and charges for the same financial year is expected to be £7,442,180.