BEACHGOERS have reacted to the news that seafront car parks will be increasing the “already extortionate” fees.
People using seafront car parks across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole have responded to BCP Council’s plans to increase the charges by approximately 10 per cent per tariff band.
The changes will apply to the seafront car parks and adjacent on-street areas, and are expected to take 10 weeks to implement.
One car park set to adopt the new tariffs is Mudeford Quay. It currently costs £4.90 to park there for three hours, but the changes will see it climb to a fee of £5.40.
Read more: New parking charges to be implemented across BCP
David, who regularly visits the Quay to walk with his partner, said: “It’s cashing in on our current situation, and it’s already heavy compared to other places.
“It’s going to make you think about how long you stay for.”
Steamer Point car park will also see an increase, with an hour stay set to cost £1.70.
The Daily Echo spoke to one local who had parked at Steamer Point to take her elderly parents to the beach.
She said she would be put off by the increased charges, but with them unable to walk far, she would have no other option but to pay.
“I just want to take my dad out, and I have to pay that much just to take him out for an hour.
“It’s bonkers.”
Residents parking along Bournemouth Seafront were far and few, and it appeared to be tourists that populated the town’s car parks.
Their reaction to the increasing parking charges were mixed. Pauline Lee, who was visiting from Buckinghamshire, said: “They’re already extortionate.
"It’ll put me off even more when they go up. I wouldn’t come again."
Read more: BCP car parking charges set to increase by 10 per cent
Pauline had parked in the Bath Road South car park along the Bournemouth seafront.
She added: “We’ve just paid 10.80 for four hours. It should be half as much”
Other tourists argued the high fees were worth it for a day trip to the seaside, and rising fees would still not deter them.
Zoe had paid to park her car outside the Bournemouth Pavilion whilst she visited the beach with her family. She said: “We’re only down here for the day, and we’re on holiday, so the prices don’t really bother us.
"We just want to park as close as we can to the beach really."
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