'Ridiculous' Oxford car park charges to increase from April

A decision from Oxford City Council in its February budget will raise parking charges across car parks in the city centre by at least five per cent.

Charges will increase by up to nine per cent for off-street car parks further out from the city centre and up to 11 per cent for parking in selected park areas such as Cutteslowe Park, Port Meadow and Hinksey Park.

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Although the city council made the decision in the hopes of increasing use of the city’s Park and Ride systems, one business representative has said it will massively affect traders.

Worcester Street Car Park, a major city centre parking spot, will have charges go up from £5 to £5.25 (Image: NQ) Graham Jones of ROX Backing Oxford Businesses said: “Parking charges are already ridiculously high – only the wealthy can really afford to park in Oxford these days.

“To put them up even higher when previously busy car parks are already sitting near empty, is ridiculous.

“But I think that’s what city councillors want. They want to see Oxford empty and people coming in by bus.”

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A spokesperson for Oxford City Council said: “The increases were ratified at the council meeting in February and will come into effect on April 1 in most of the city council car parks.

“There will be no change to charges at the Park and Ride sites apart from the annual permit to park. The Park and Bus combined ticket remains the same price.

“The notices are displayed in the relevant car parks and any comments can be sent to carparks@oxford.gov.uk.”

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The real-terms monetary increase will be between 10p and 50p depending on the location of the car park and the duration of the parking.

Though the city council is responsible for all off-street parking, Oxfordshire County Council controls charges for on-street parking.

The County Council has said on-street parking charges will not be increasing (Image: NQ) A spokesperson for the county council said there are no parking charge increases in its budge for this year, and encouraged people travelling into the city to use the Park and Ride schemes which received £400,000 from the council.

Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council cabinet member for transport management, said: “I’m delighted that in our recent budget, alongside holding on-street parking charges, we invested significantly in keeping the cost of combined Park and Ride tickets at the same level as last year.

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“This was in direct response to the Labour government raising the national fare cap from £2 to £3.

“We’ve stepped in to keep this easy and convenient form of travel competitive and attractive, at just £1 per person for a whole day’s parking and return bus travel for a family of up to five.

“I am proud that the Lib Dem-led council backed investment in this vital service.

“Park and Ride will play an increasingly important part in our transport network as our population grows and we will continue to do everything we can to support and expand it.”

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Mr Jones said that while Park and Ride schemes are “brilliant in many respects,” the infrastructure doesn’t support those coming from further away and does not account for those with mobility or accessibility issues.

“They just haven’t thought it through,” he added.

“And parking charges going up aren’t going to increase the council’s income because all it will do is keep people away and make lives tough for business owners in Oxford, because it will dissuade even more people from coming in.

“They seem to have this tunnel vision of ‘we have to keep the cars out at all costs,’ but there has to be a balance.”