As part of new proposals on parking charges across Dorset Council, on-street parking in Swanage is under review.
Currently the parking charges and rules vary in the Dorset Council area, having formerly come under different district councils prior to the formation of the new council. Now Dorset Council is looking to introduce a new standardised parking policy.
The review includes all Dorset Council owned car parks and on-street parking, however Swanage’s car parks are owned by Swanage Town Council and are therefore not part of the new proposals.
Including Station Road and Shore Road
On-street parking charges in Swanage including Station Road and Shore Road, which is controlled by Dorset Council, will be included in the review.
The details of the Dorset Council proposals, which have not yet been published, will be presented to stakeholder groups, including Swanage Town Council on Tuesday 6th April 2021.
This will be followed by a four week period for stakeholders to comment on the plans.
A spokesperson from Swanage Town Council said:
“The town council and the chamber of trade have been invited to send representatives to the presentation. We’ll be very keen to ensure that the voice of Swanage residents and businesses is heard as part of this exercise.”
Other Purbeck stakeholders being consulted on the Dorset Council parking review include representatives from Corfe Castle Parish Council, National Trust, Corfe Castle Surgery’s Patient Participation Group and Wareham Town Council.
“We want a pricing strategy that works for as many people as possible”
Councillor Ray Bryan, Dorset Council’s portfolio holder for highways, travel and environment, said:
“When Dorset Council was formed, we inherited a number of different charging strategies. As a result, we currently have 76 different permits in circulation, with varying rules and prices that, when compared, are not fair. For instance, car park charges span from being free to £9 for all day parking.
“Our proposal will centre around a three-level strategy that differentiates between the diverse and unique areas that Dorset enjoys – rural, coastal and town. Alongside this, we’re also looking at a permit that is only available for Dorset Council residents, which will offer reduced parking charges in our car parks.
“We’re discussing issues at a local level within these working groups to best understand local parking pressures. We want a pricing strategy that works for as many people as possible.”
West Street car park in Corfe Castle
Bonnets Lane car park in Wareham
Dorset Council’s parking transformation project – first phase
The first phase of what Dorset Council calls its ‘parking transformation project’ has already come into effect. From Thursday 1st April 2021 the charging period for the Dorset Council owned car parks in Corfe Castle and Wareham is now 8 am to 6 pm.
This brings it in line with the rest of Dorset Council owned car parks. Previously, charges were only applied from 10 am.
Over in Lyme Regis and West Bay car parks, all day parking has risen to £8. Additionally, Dorset Council has now introduced charges on Sunday for car parks in Beaminster, Blandford, Bridport, Dorchester, Gillingham, Shaftesbury, Sherborne and Sturminster Newton.
Further information
- Dorset Council’s current parking charges and rules can be found on its website
