It will cost between 10p and 40p more to park your car in Wokingham town centre car parks from July 1.
To park for an hour will cost £1.50 (up from £1.40 currently), two hours will cost £2.70 (up from £2.60), four hours will cost £4.70 (up from £4.50), six hours will cost £6.80 (up from £6.50), while over six hours will cost £7.40 (up from £7.00).
The cost for a ticket to park between 6pm and 10pm will rise to £1.10 from £1.00.
Season ticket charges are also set to rise.
The new rates for parking have been detailed on laminated notices that have been attached to town centre car park machines.
These latest increases mean that parking for one hour in Wokingham town centre will have risen by 87% – from 80p to £1.50 – since May 2023.
Wokingham retailer Phil Edgecombe of Phil’s Good Food in Broad Street was a vocal critic of previous increases.
Reacting to the latest rises, he told Wokingham Today: “This isn’t really going to help businesses in the town.
“You’ve got to ask, how much revenue are these increases really going to generate?”
Wokingham borough council last implemented parking charge increases in March 2024, with an average rise of 7%.
In June 2023, Wokingham borough council introduced a raft of changes to its off-street parking regime, which included an extension of the hours and days when parking charges were implemented. Those changes were the first since 2018.
Drivers will still be able to park for free for up to 30 minutes at the Shute End central car park, and for up to two hours at the Carnival leisure centre multi-storey car park. Parking will also remain free of charge overnight – between 10pm and 6am – with a free ticket vend from car parking machines.
Pauline Jorgensen, leader of the Conservative opposition group at Wokingham borough council, said, “Since they gained control of Wokingham borough council in 2022, the Lib Dems, supported by Labour, have almost doubled the charges for council car park charges and extended the charging to evenings and Sundays.
“They even cancelled the free parking offered in the run up to Christmas.
“This has hit hard-pressed families and local businesses hard. They ignored a petition signed by thousands of residents asking them to think again and ignored the impact on local business.
“Businesses had to close in response to the significant drop in footfall.
“Now we are seeing further inflation busting increases to car park charges, which will come into effect on July 1 this year.
“It is clear the Lib Dems have no interest in supporting hard-pressed residents or ensuring the viability of local businesses.”
A spokesperson for Wokingham borough council confirmed the fees and charges were approved at full council as part of the medium term financial plan in February.
