Parking policy

Last Updated: 3 April 2024

We aim to:

• put in place measures to maintain and improve the use and condition of existing car parks
• continue to explore opportunities to cater for specific and seasonal demands and seek to work in partnership with other organisations at weekends and during holidays
• look for suitable opportunities for small scale and informal “park and walk” and “park and ride” sites on the edges of towns and villages
• try to increase the amount of short-stay spaces in car parks (up to four hours) and look at ways of reducing long-stay parking in town centres
• look for opportunities to improve access and sign-posting to car parks – particularly where it will avoid an approach via busy shopping and pedestrian streets
• work in partnership with the County Council and other agencies in the provision of car parking and pricing

Condition and appearance of car parks

We will:

• carry out an annual review of the car parks and where appropriate set out proposals in a business plan for resurfacing, improving lighting and security, boundary treatments and landscaping, signposting and interpretation, upgrading ancillary facilities and pay machines
• set aside a proportion of the annual income from car parks for their necessary upkeep and improvement

Car parking charges

We will:

• annually consider our fees and charges for car parking in line with our Medium Term Financial Plan and set charges at levels that are competitive with neighbouring towns and cities, but which do not act to suppress the local economy

We will not:

• introduce increases to car parking charges to a level to discourage the use of cars in the short term. (This approach will be reviewed when attractive alternative ways of travelling into towns are available in line with government policy on integrated transport systems)

Free district-wide car parking provision will normally be limited to Sundays in the run up to the Christmas holidays.

Annual permits

The availability and pricing of parking permits are reviewed annually.

Civil Parking Enforcement

Our policy aims to:

• be consistent with the national and county guidelines
• improve the quality and accessibility of public transport by discouraging the use of cars where road conditions and public transport facilities justify this
• take into account the requirements of local residents, shops and businesses
• monitor the effectiveness and value of parking controls and responding to the public's needs
• make sure car parks are available for use by motorists and not blocked by illegally parked vehicles
• use an appeals' system that is acceptable to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. Which operates under our guidance policy for the enforcement and cancellation of Penalty Charge Notices (PDF 358KB / 21 pages).

Cumbria County Council regulates parking on-street. The Police have retained powers to enforce all areas for obstruction, and are also responsible for trunk roads.

Further information on the management and enforcement of car parks is available in our annual report on parking operations.