New car parking charges take effect across Babergh from next week – as concerns remain over their potential impact on the district’s main shopping centres.
From Monday, revised tariffs will be introduced at Babergh District Council-owned car parks across Sudbury, Hadleigh and Lavenham.
The change brings an end to the popular provision of three hours’ free parking, which the district council says it can no longer afford to subsidise, although some exemptions are available.
Station Road car park in Sudbury is among the sites to be affected. Picture: Suffolk Free Press archive
As of the start of next week, short-stay car parks will charge £1 up to an hour, £1.50 for two hours, £2 for three hours, and £2.50 for four hours.
For long-stay car parks, the fees are £1 up to two hours, £1.50 for three hours, £2 for four hours, and £2.50 to park all day.
Babergh leaders have claimed the new charges are necessary to help address the ‘significant budget pressures’ that it faces over the forthcoming financial year.
However, when the tariffs were announced last year, they faced extensive opposition from residents, community groups and the three town and parish councils in the affected areas.
More than 10,000 people also signed a petition launched by Lavenham councillor Paul Clover, calling for the authority’s leadership to reverse course on the changes.
Opponents argue that free parking was a key selling point for Sudbury, Hadleigh and Lavenham, and that, without it, shoppers will be more inclined to visit places with a larger retail offering, such as Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich and Colchester.
Concerns have been raised that on-street parking will increase significantly, as people seek to avoid the charges by spreading into residential areas, to the detriment of those living there.
In response, Babergh District Council stated the current cost of subsiding free parking is £425,000, and that, if it were to continue this, other essential services would be impacted.
“There is little evidence to suggest that charging a competitive fee to park will prevent motorists from visiting a town or village,” said a Babergh spokesperson.
“Babergh is in a minority of districts where parking is free for up to three hours. In general, tourists are fully prepared to pay to park when visiting an area of interest.
“We will work with Suffolk County Council to ensure that the on-street parking is relevant and appropriate for the needs of residents.”
In Sudbury, the new charges will take effect at car parks in Ballingdon Street, Blackfriars, Girling Street, Great Eastern Road, Mill Lane, North Street, Quay Lane, Station Road and Stour Street.
The affected sites in Hadleigh are in High Street, Magdalen Road, Maiden Way, Stonehouse Road and Toppesfield Hall.
For Lavenham, the fees apply to Prentice Street and the Cock Horse Inn car park.
Blue badge holders can continue to park for up to three hours for free, while the existing season ticket offering has been extended to include overnight passes, to help Sudbury and Hadleigh residents.
Several exemption schemes have also been announced, which will mean visitors will not be required to pay when parking for specific purposes.
These include three hours of free parking for visitors to the Kingfisher Leisure Centre in Sudbury, Hadleigh Pool & Leisure and Lavenham Village Hall, if they register their vehicle at reception.
A two-hours free stay is also available for patients attending Hadleigh Health Centre and Lavenham Surgery, while school run permits are being offered for parents and carers of Hadleigh Primary School pupils during registration times.
In addition, customers of Roy’s in Sudbury will be able to claim a £1 refund in store, allowing them to stay free for two hours in the adjacent Great Eastern Road car park.
The Sudbury Society – the town’s pre-eminent civic group – welcomed aspects of these exemptions, whilst also reiterating that it shared the concerns of many others about the tariffs overall.
John Purser, the society’s lead on planning matters, expressed disappointment that the new fee structure had not maintained some element of free parking across the board.
“The society remains aligned with the town council, chamber of commerce and many other groups over our concern that car park charges have become a necessity,” he said.
“We’re still disappointed that a gentler approach to this, with the first half hour free, has not been taken.
“The exemptions we note have pros and cons. Retailer schemes, for example – which Roy’s will operate – are used in other places.
“Stimulating use of the Kingfisher Pool for its clear welfare benefits has merit.”
In 2024, Sudbury Town Council indicated that it would look to monitor what effect the new tariffs have over the long-term, so it can supply evidence to any future review into parking fees.
Councillor Nigel Bennett told a council meeting last year: “We should work with the chamber of commerce to look at the impact that these parking charges will have, and ask what the consequences are.
“We may need to do a survey, because the impact might not be as catastrophic as we think, but, in two years’ time, charges could go up further.”