Since Bath and North East Somerset Council introduced parking charges to the previously free South Road Car Park in Midsomer Norton in March 2025, the scheme has generated just over £21,000 in a year — with the majority coming from penalty fines rather than parking fees.
Local businesses had warned that imposing charges would harm the town’s economy, and one year later, local councillor Shaun Hughes (Midsomer Norton North, Independent) confirms their concerns. Speaking at a council meeting on March 19, he revealed: “In 2025, the car park collected a mere £8,435 in parking fees, while fines brought in a considerably larger sum of £12,675. This means most revenue is coming from penalising residents, many of whom were trying to use the two-hour free parking allowance.”
A freedom of information request uncovered these figures, along with data showing parking enforcement staff made 426 visits to the site between March 2025 and early March 2026, totaling 168 working hours. The council, however, did not provide a breakdown of enforcement costs.
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Councillor Hughes expressed concern that once enforcement and maintenance expenses are considered, the parking scheme is likely running at a significant financial loss. He also highlighted the wider impact: “Since these charges were introduced, visit durations have shortened; local businesses have closed, citing these fees as a key factor; and nearby residential streets are now overcrowded with displaced vehicles.”
He added, “This costly experiment is draining resources that could be better spent on essential community needs, such as supporting the elderly, enhancing youth services, or improving public transport to reduce car dependency.”
The charges affect South Road Car Park in Midsomer Norton, as well as Church Street and Waterloo Road car parks in Radstock. Following public opposition, the council allowed a two-hour free parking period as a compromise.
Notably, the car parks use an “emissions-based parking” system that applies higher charges to more polluting vehicles. While first introduced in Bath in 2023, applying this system to the Somer Valley—an area where residents rely heavily on cars and air quality is not a known problem—remains a contentious issue.