Churchgoers say 'only hope is God' as council hikes Sunday parking fees by 700%
A council’s 700% parking fee increase on Sundays has been dubbed a “money-grabbing scheme” - and left churchgoers saying “our only hope is God”.
Winchester City Council introduced the new rates in July, with some parking for over four hours now a whopping £17 - including nearby Winchester Cathedral. However, it is the same price as the other days of the week, with Sunday previously having been a cheaper rate.
1,211 parking spaces are impacted by the new tariffs, which will also require people to pay for parking overnight. The move has caused uproar in the community, with business owners and residents setting up a petition to order the council to reverse the decision.
Winchester-born churchgoer Olive Bramley travels 8 miles every Sunday to Winchester Cathedral, as her local church doesn’t do Sunday service. The 74 year-old said: "I go to the eight o'clock morning community service every Sunday morning."
Parking near Winchester Cathedral will be affected by the tariffs (Solent News & Photo Agency)Mr Bramley attends the morning service but arrives before 8am to get there on time - meaning she pays the overnight charge of £3.30. She then has to pay the £1.80 charge for the day rate, the Sun reports.
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"I'll have to pay £5.10 for parking and then £5 for the collection. That's £10 a week, £40 a month - that's a lot of money in this day and age,” she said. When she raised it with the council, it was suggested she use a different car park 15 minutes away - which Ms Bramley described as “quite a walk”.
The changes were made by the Liberal Democrat council in an attempt to “help deliver the carbon neutrality plan” and get less people driving around on Sundays. The local authority has committed to running its services in a carbon neutral way by 2024.
Cllr Kelsie Learney, cabinet member for the climate emergency at Winchester City Council, said: “Air quality doesn't care what day of the week it is or what time of day it is – and we have to keep working to improve it. We continue to have easily available free parking for people working in or visiting the city in the evening and on Sundays."
But Ms Bramley remains unconvinced, arguing it is “penalising people who want to go to church”. She said: “God is my only hope now, there's no joined up thinking, no common sense.”
Ted Hart described it as “insane”, and said: "The introduction of the £2 daily fee from free parking had not seemed to deter visitors but the increase to £17 after four hours will.” He said the move may “destroy our struggling businesses' best day of the week… The city council are supposed to work for the benefit of the city and its residents not wreck it."
And church elder Steve Chick from the nearby Hope Church said he was “extremely disappointed” at the move, and that “little thought or consideration has been given to churches” and the “important social care role” they play.
Winchester City Council said to the Mirror: “We’re really sorry that Mrs Bramley was not given the right information when she first contacted the council.
“No-one who chooses to park in one of our city centre car parks has to pay £5 to go to the morning cathedral service. It costs £1.80 to park from 7.40 am till 9 am and £3.30 to park from 7.40 am till 10 am. From 8 am onwards, it costs £1.80 to park for an hour and £3.30 to park for two hours.
“We do not charge both an evening charge and a daytime charge for parking sessions that cross both periods. We recognize that our signs could give the incorrect impression, but the parking machines have the correct information.
“Nowhere in the centre of Winchester – including the Cathedral - is more than 10 minutes walk from one of the 1,250 parking spaces that are free to use on Sundays and in the evening.
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“We will be adding extra information in our car parks to make things clearer and contacting Mrs Bramley to give a full refund.”
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