Published on Friday, 24th February 2023
Norwich City Council has made the decision to introduce parking charges at Eaton Park from next month, but has kept costs low for those who have to travel there by car.
The move to introduce charges follows an extensive public consultation, carried out by the city council from December to February.
Charges will start at £2 for up to four hours and there will be the option for regular park users to purchase a season ticket, which will work out at less than £2 per week.
Cllr Adam Giles, cabinet member for parks and open spaces said: “We know how popular Eaton Park is and we hope that many people will be able to walk or travel there by other sustainable means. We have also tried to keep the charges low for those who do have to pay to park and have responded to feedback from the consultation.
“This has been a difficult decision for the council but one that we have had to make because of mounting financial pressure.”
Eaton Park is the first of the Norwich parks to be considered for the charges and comes following a council decision in 2021 to introduce parking charges in some of the city’s parks. The decision was made as a result of mounting financial pressure on the council.
The move to introduce these charges has the backing of those who responded to the council’s 2022-23 budget consultation in which they gave their support for the council prioritising increasing fees and charges to protect services.
The public consultation about the proposed introduction of car parking charges at Eaton Park received more than 700 responses and included three main concerns:
- Cost of living crisis
- Health and wellbeing
- Cars parking in neighbouring streets
In response to this, the council has purposely kept fees low – with costs starting at £2 for up to four hours and has introduced a season ticket option for regular users, as it understands the effects the cost of living crisis is having on households. The council has brought in the charges because it currently has a deficit of more than £6million and needs to protect vital services for residents.
While those needing to drive and park at Eaton Park will need to pay for parking, the park remains free at point of use and the council would encourage as many people as possible to walk/cycle/use public transport to travel there. Eaton Park is one of 23 parks, 81 open spaces and 56 natural areas managed by the city council in Norwich.
Once the charges come into effect, the city council will be monitoring parking in the streets surrounding the park to make sure there are no issues for local residents.
Proposed parking costs will start at £2 for up to four hours and will apply from 9am to 9pm Monday to Sunday (excluding Christmas Day). Season tickets will be available to purchase for £40 for six months or £70 for a year. For full details of the tariffs please visit the Eaton Park page.
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