Parking tariffs in Babergh

Babergh District Council varied the parking charges in Sudbury, Hadleigh, and Lavenham in January 2025.

The cost of parking in Sudbury, Hadleigh, and Lavenham is as follows:

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

We introduced modest 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 changes, details the engagement exercise we carried out, and what we have done to monitor any impact on the high street. Further background about the proposals can also be found in a media release issued on 15 December 2023.

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

We work with Suffolk County Council to ensure that the on-street parking is relevant and appropriate for the needs of residents.  We have improved 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.  In July 2025, all of our pay & display car parks were assessed by the British Parking Association and Suffolk Police and awarded the 'Park Mark' award for safer parking.  Several car parks also received the 'Park Access' award (in association with Disabled Motoring UK) for providing parking and electric vehicle charging facilities which are accessible and inclusive.

Does charging to park discourage visitors to our town centre?

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

Are tourists 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?

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:

• Mid Suffolk's car parks
• East Suffolk's car parks
• Ipswich's car parks
• Huntingdonshire's car parks
• Saffron Walden's car parks 

Do Blue Badge holders have to pay to park?

Blue Badge holders are entitled to park up to three hours for free.

Are there any discounts available for town centre employees and residents?

We 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 also offer 'Overnight Season Tickets' which 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 parking charge changes?

In January 2024, 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 launched the following schemes to coincide with the introduction of the new charges:

• Launched new 'Overnight Season Tickets' to help residents in Hadleigh and Sudbury.
• Visitors to the Kingfisher Leisure Centre in Sudbury and Hadleigh Leisure Centre can park free for 3-hours by registering their vehicle at reception.
• Visitors to Lavenham Village Hall can park free for 3-hours by registering their vehicle at reception.
• Patients attending appointments at Hadleigh Health Centre and Lavenham Surgery can park free for 2-hours by registering their vehicle at reception.
• Launched 'school run' permits in Hadleigh and Sudbury 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 can claim a £1.00 refund in store for 2 hours free parking in Great Eastern Road Car Park.

What has been done to monitor any impact on the high street since the parking charges were varied?

The Council has access to data showing the number and duration of parking stays, footfall, average dwell time and the number of vacant shop premises and has been monitoring these figures over the last 12 months.  We have reported that this data suggests that there has not been any considerable impact on the high street since the parking charges were varied in January 2025.

The University of Suffolk have conducted independent analysis of the impact of parking charges and in December 2025 published a report.  The report states that "Overall, we did not detect significant differences between the footfall, dwell time and spend between 2024 and 2025 in Hadleigh, Lavenham and Sudbury with the changes to car parking charges that were made."