A year after Bath and North East Somerset Council scrapped free parking at the South Road Car Park in Midsomer Norton, the financial results reveal a disappointing outcome. Since March 2025, the car park has generated just over £21,000, with the majority stemming from fines rather than parking charges.
Local councillor Shaun Hughes (Midsomer Norton North, Independent) criticized the scheme, saying it has “failed on every possible metric.” At a council meeting on March 19, he detailed the revenue breakdown: £8,435 from parking fees contrasted with a higher £12,675 collected through penalty notices. “The revenue largely comes from penalizing residents, often during what was supposed to be a free parking period,” Hughes pointed out.
The data emerged following a freedom of information request by a local resident. While the council could not provide enforcement cost details, it disclosed that parking services conducted 426 visits to the car park over the year, amounting to 168 working hours of enforcement activity.
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Hughes warned that once enforcement and infrastructure costs are factored in, the scheme likely operates at a significant loss. Beyond finances, he stressed the wider negative impacts: reduced visiting time, business closures citing parking charges as a cause, and increased vehicle displacement to nearby residential areas.
“This experiment is costing the council tens of thousands of pounds that could be better used on pressing social issues like tackling loneliness among the elderly, enhancing youth services, or improving bus networks to reduce dependency on cars,” Hughes asserted.
Introduced alongside changes at Radstock’s Church Street and Waterloo Road car parks, the charges feature an emissions-based fee system, where higher charges apply to more polluting vehicles. Although a two-hour free parking period remains as a concession, the rollout to the Somer Valley region has faced local opposition. Critics argue that unlike Bath, the area has no significant air quality issues, and residents must rely on cars for transport, making these charges an unwelcome burden.