Car Parks Current Updates

Car Parking Consultation - Findings and What's Next

Background

In late 2024, Breckland Council ran a public consultation to explore future options for managing car parking in our market towns. This was part of a wider conversation about how to maintain our car parks in a fair and financially sustainable way.

Every year, the Council spends around £450,000 maintaining 30 public car parks. Currently, this is funded by all taxpayers, regardless of whether they use the car parks. We wanted to understand how a cost-recovery model—where users contribute directly to the service—might work for our communities.

Why the project is paused

Following our decision to pause the car parking project earlier this year due to uncertainty surrounding Local Government Reorganisation in Norfolk, no changes to car parking are being introduced at this time. However, the evidence gathered through this consultation will remain a vital resource to support future decision-making—whether by Breckland Council, a future successor authority, or town councils exploring local solutions.

A strong response from the community

The consultation ran from 4 November to 15 December 2024 and received 3,562 responses—a strong level of engagement, representing around 3% of Breckland's adult population.

We're extremely grateful to everyone who took the time to take part.

The consultation was designed in line with national best practice, supported by the East of England Local Government Association and informed by a comprehensive Equality Impact Assessment to ensure inclusivity.

Engagement methods included:

• An online questionnaire
• Paper copies available in libraries and council offices
• Telephone appointments
• Drop-in events in all five market towns
• Stakeholder workshops with county, district, parish and town councillors

No formal complaints were received about awareness or access to the consultation—demonstrating the strength of our outreach and communications.

What the consultation told us

Community priorities

Key themes and majority preferences that emerged from the data include:

• A strong preference for up to one hour of free parking
• If charges are introduced, £1 per hour or less was seen as acceptable
• Shopping is the primary reason people use car parks, followed by work and access to health/public services
• Free parking on significant market days is widely supported
• Debit/credit card payments are strongly preferred over cash or mobile apps
• Blue Badge holders should receive extra time to exit after paying

Stakeholder feedback

Member and parish workshops added valuable local insight. Consistent messages from these sessions included:

• Uniformity of approach across all towns to avoid confusion
• A need for clear, simple communications
• Strong support for reasonable free periods near facilities like GPs, pharmacies and schools
• Interest in a flat rate or cost-recovery approach, rather than profit-making

Workshop feedback aligned closely with public preferences, especially on issues like free periods and the allocation of short- and long-stay spaces.

Community concerns

While many people recognised the financial pressures behind the proposal, open-text responses showed that the idea of introducing charges was largely unpopular—particularly given the perception that parking is currently "free" (despite being funded by council taxation).

Concerns included:

• Impacts on town centre footfall, businesses and vulnerable residents
• Displacement parking into nearby residential streets
• Costs for town centre workers, volunteers and those with medical appointments
• Lack of viable alternatives for those who must drive, especially in rural areas

Some respondents also expressed concern about future maintenance and enforcement, suggesting expectations would rise if charges were introduced.

Participation challenges

While the consultation achieved strong overall numbers, some age groups — particularly 18-25 and 35-44 — were underrepresented. These demographics are typically harder to engage. The Council is considering more interactive and digital engagement tools such as virtual rooms or virtual platforms for future consultations, to reach a broader audience.

What this means for the future

Although the Council is not introducing any changes to car parking at this time, the consultation has created a robust evidence base that will support future planning and decisions.

Whether action is taken by Breckland Council, a future unitary authority, or individual town councils, this work ensures that decisions are shaped by community input and grounded in real-world data.

Read more detail in the Surveys and Reports.