Parking tariffs in Babergh

Babergh District Council is varying the parking charges in Sudbury, Hadleigh, and Lavenham.  The new parking charges will be introduced on Monday 13 January 2025.

New signs will be in place in the car parks to ensure drivers are aware of the changes, which include a reduction to the current cost of all-day parking in Sudbury and Hadleigh, as follows:

  Short stay Long stay
Up to 1 hour £1.00 Not applicable
Up to 2 hours £1.50 £1.00
Up to 3 hours £2.00 £1.50
Up to 4 hours £2.50 £2.00
All day Not applicable £2.50

 

Specific information for each individual car park is available.  Find out more

Subsidising the current three-hour free parking costs the Council approximately £425K this year, and that is set to rise further. The Council faces significant budget pressures in the next financial year and over the medium term and can no longer afford the subsidy if it is to continue delivering other essential services to residents and communities.

We are introducing modest, revised tariffs in council-run car parks which are as low as possible compared to other authorities, so we can continue to attract visitors, ensure shoppers and workers have access to the right spaces in the right places, and increase space turnover.

This webpage outlines the background to the proposal, details of an engagement exercise we carried out, and answers to some frequently asked questions. Further background about the proposals can also be found in a media release issued on 15 December 2023.

How much will you charge to park?

We already charge to park at Pin Mill Car Park in Chelmondiston, and for over three hours in Hadleigh and Sudbury. We have conducted extensive research throughout East Anglia to ascertain the average cost to park in towns and villages of a similar size to those in Babergh.   We committed to ensuring that the new charges that are being introduced to our car parks are in line with other towns and villages of similar size in East Anglia.

How will you discourage shoppers from choosing to shop in larger towns in the area, such as Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich, or Colchester?

We are committed to keeping the cost of parking in our car parks lower than those charged in larger towns so that our towns and villages remain an attractive destination.

What solutions are available to prevent motorists from using other free car parks instead of Council-owned car parks, such as health centres, businesses and Residents Only car parks?

Car park operators can choose to enlist the service of a private enforcement service.  These private services will often provide a fee-free service, using parking ticket income to cover their costs.

What will the Council do to stop motorists from parking on-street to avoid paying to use a car park?

We will work with Suffolk County Council to ensure that the on-street parking is relevant and appropriate for the needs of residents.  We are committed to improving the facilities within our car parks to make them the preferred destination for motorists, by making them a safe, convenient, and pleasant place to park.

Will the introduction of car park charges affect on-street enforcement?

Chargeable parking is easier to enforce than free parking.  With competitive parking rates in operation, we will be able to encourage a greater frequency of Civil Enforcement Officer visits to our car parks.  This increased officer presence makes our car parks a safer place to park with increased patrols and means that the surrounding streets will also be more regularly patrolled which is currently a common complaint.

Will charging to park discourage visitors to our town centre?

There is little evidence to suggest that charging a competitive fee to park will prevent motorists from visiting a town or village.  Babergh is in a minority of districts where parking is free for up to three hours.

Will tourists be discouraged from visiting our town or village if they must pay for parking?

In general, tourists are fully prepared to pay to park when visiting an area of interest.  We are committed to ensuring that the fees charged in our car parks are competitive and may still be below what tourists would normally expect to pay when visiting a place of interest.

What do other towns in the region charge for parking?

The average cost of parking in towns with a population of around 20,000 people East Anglia is £1 per hour. Short stay car parking is payable in towns such as Stowmarket, Newmarket, Felixstowe, Haverhill, and Woodbridge.  We will ensure that the cost of parking in Babergh is competitive with these destinations.   Full tariff information for other council’s car parks in the region are available their websites:

Will Blue Badge holders have to pay to park?

Blue Badge holders will continue to be entitled to park up to three hours for free.

Will there be any discounts available for town centre employees and residents?

All day parking is being reduced from £3.00 to £2.50 which will help people who want to park all day.

We already offer car park season tickets which are available to anyone who regularly uses our car parks.  Season tickets are currently available for one month, three months or 12 months and offer a considerable discount when compared to paying daily.  Season tickets are also convenient as the motorist doesn’t have the inconvenience of having to pay to park each day.  Season tickets are now fully digital and can be managed online.  We are launching a new 'Overnight Season Ticket' which will enable residents to park between 8am and 9am, and 5pm and 6pm giving them some added flexibility.  Find out more

Who did you engage with about the changes?

In January 2023, Babergh’s Cabinet agreed to carry out an engagement exercise with town and parish councils and other recognised groups to find the best solutions for local communities.  We ran a survey aimed specifically at town and parish councillors as representatives of their local communities.  This built upon previous feedback captured from residents and other stakeholders during our Parking Strategy consultation in 2022.

What did you do with the feedback?

The feedback helped us amend some of our original proposals.  As a result of the consultations we conducted and the engagement survey results, we are launching the following schemes to coincide with the introduction of the new charges:

  • Launching new 'Overnight Season Tickets' to help residents in Hadleigh and Sudbury.
  • Visitors to the Kingfisher Leisure Centre in Sudbury and Hadleigh Leisure Centre will be able to park free for 3-hours by registering their vehicle at reception.
  • Visitors to Lavenham Village Hall will be able to park free for 3-hours by registering their vehicle at reception.
  • Patients attending appointments at Hadleigh Health Centre and Lavenham Surgery will be able to park free for 2-hours by registering their vehicle at reception.
  • Launching 'school run' permits in Hadleigh for parents and carers of primary school pupils to enable them to park for free at school registration times.
  • Customers of Roy's in Sudbury will be able to claim a £1.00 refund in store for 2 hours free parking in Great Eastern Road Car Park.

What did you ask in the survey?

These are the questions people were invited to answer:

Parking tariffs

The Council is proposing to vary the tariffs in our car parks to help tackle the financial deficit that we are facing to lessen the cuts or savings we will have to make to other services.  At present, the free parking that is provided in our car parks in Sudbury, Hadleigh and Lavenham is subsidised by all council tax payers in the district.   We are committed to ensuring that the charges that would be introduced would remain as low as possible and in line with towns and villages of similar sizes across the East Anglia region.

What comments would you like to make regarding this proposal?

Car parking provision

The Council published its Parking Strategy in 2022, which outlines both on-street and off-street parking provision for the next 20 years. You can access more information about our Parking Strategy on our website. The Strategy looks at the improvement and maintenance of our parking provision to ensure that we have the right level of parking provision in the right places.

Do you have any comments on our current car park provision and facilities?

On-Street parking

In 2020, Civil Parking Enforcement was introduced to the Babergh District, with Ipswich Borough Council and West Suffolk Council sharing the on-street parking enforcement duties. This has had a positive effect in many areas. We understand that varying the tariffs in our car parks could impact on-street parking, but it could also mean that we could encourage more enforcement where required.

What comments would you like to make regarding on-street parking and parking enforcement?  

Sustainable Transport

The Parking Strategy identified that many of our car parks are already approaching capacity and the demand on parking spaces will only increase without better access to sustainable transport solutions.  This includes improving public transport, cycling, and walking facilities.

What comments or suggestions would you like to make regarding sustainable transport, and what improvements would encourage and enable travel without the need for parking (therefore helping to manage the demand on our car parks)?