Council set to increase town centre parking charges again

Why it matters: If approved, the changes would affect drivers using council-run car parks across the town centre, including Bond Street, the Crown multi-story, Elm Street, Regent, and Upper Orwell Street, as well as on-street bays on roads including Museum Street, Russell Road and Sir Alf Ramsey Way. It will also likely be met with much criticism from businesses that already feel parking charges in the town centre are too high.

The details: The council's Executive is due to consider the proposals on 16 June, with the new tariffs proposed to come into force on 20 July 2026.

• Short-stay car park charges would rise from £1.60 to £1.70 per hour, with a five-hour stay increasing from £8.00 to £8.50.
• Long-stay car park rates would also go up by 10p per hour, with all-day parking rising from £7.50 to £8.00 – an increase of £130 per year for those who park and work in the town centre five days per week.
• On-street parking bays would see equivalent increases, with the first hour rising from £2.50 to £2.60 and a three-hour stay going from £5.90 to £6.20.
• Season ticket holders would also be affected, with annual Monday-to-Friday permits rising from £1,403 to £1,496, and all-week permits increasing from £1,485 to £1,584.
• Resident season tickets at Cobbold Street and Richmond Road car parks would rise from £371 to £396 per year.

The after-2pm offer: The council's £2.70 after-2pm weekday offer — which allows drivers to park for the rest of the day for a flat fee — would be rebranded as the "£2.80 after 2pm" offer. The council says it intends to retain the offer to "support" town centre retail and the leisure sector, including visits to theatres, cinemas, restaurants and swimming pools.

A trial extension of the after-2pm offer to Saturdays and Sundays at Crown car park is currently underway. The council's Executive is being asked to delegate the decision on whether to make the weekend trial permanent, following the end of the trial period on 28 June 2026.

Parking at Portman Road: The council is also asking the Executive to authorise the inclusion of a new multi-storey car park at Portman Road in its Off-Street Parking Places Order when it opens. The Portman Road multi-storey is due to be constructed and open for use in 2028, subject to planning consent, and would be set at the same tariff as other long-stay car parks.

For context: The council says the increases are necessary to meet rising costs associated with managing parking services. The changes to off-street charges are expected to generate an additional £176,000 per year, while on-street increases would bring in a further £18,000 annually.

A report going before the Executive notes that, despite the proposed rises, Ipswich's short-stay rates remain cheaper than those in Cambridge, Norwich and Colchester, though comparing parking with Norwich and Cambridge will be viewed by many as an apples-and-oranges comparison.

Some privately operated car parks in the town — including Blackfriars on Foundation Street and St Matthews off Bedford Street — currently charge less than the council's proposed rates.

Blue badge holders would be unaffected by the proposed changes: they are entitled to three hours' free parking in the council's short-stay car parks (except Crown) and are exempt from charges and time limits in on-street bays as a legal requirement.

The bottom line: Ipswich drivers face another hike to town centre parking costs from late July if the council approves the proposals, with most charges rising by 10p per hour, with the decision likely to be met with criticism from town centre traders.

Don't forget: If you enjoy our content, please add Ipswich.co.uk as a "preferred source" on Google so you can easily find more of the content you value.

This article cost us ~£27 to produce

It's free for you to read thanks to the generous support of our partners. Please support us by supporting them.