Drivers face massive blow as council mulls over 'two-tier' parking charges in tourist hotspot impacting thousands

The new two-tier parking fee policy which could come in as early as April next year could see visitors paying double the amount charged to local residents.

The move comes as the local authority looks to address the increased strain on local services caused by the influx of tourists during peak seasons.

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Under the plans, local households will be able to register two cars for the lower resident rate, while second homeowners and tourists will be subject to the higher visitor fees.

Council leader Julian Brazil told the BBC that the extra funds are needed to support essential services such as waste collection, leisure centres, and beach maintenance.

He said: “Obviously, no-one likes putting up charges or taxes but in the end they [visitors] put a lot of stress on all the services during the summer.

"Thousands of extra people visit the South Hams during the summer, that's strain on the bins, the beaches, the street scenes, I think they should pay their share."

But the council leader assured local residents that they would not be “adversely affected” by cost increases. "Every local household would be able to register two cars to park at the local rate," he explained.

However, Brazil clarified that second homeowners and those staying in self-catering accommodation would not be eligible for the residents' rate.

The new parking measures have sparked debate among local businesses. James Norton, director of Toad Hall Cottages, which manages 500 holiday lets in the South Hams, criticised the plan. He told the BBC: "What we should be doing as an area is enticing people down here."

Norton emphasised the importance of tourism, stating, "everyone" needed it, including "holiday letting businesses, shops, restaurants, bars, cleaners and laundry firms."

However, Isabella Day, owner of the Remarkable Goldsmiths in Dartmouth, supported the idea.

But noted that “hopefully, it won't turn tourism away because I think the sorts of people who come to Dartmouth are willing to pay parking already. As a person who lives here, I think it a brilliant idea because it would be better for me if I could find a space to park."

The Parking Association provided a neutral stance on the issue. They stated that it is up to "individual councils to determine their parking charges in line with local needs and demand".

The association emphasised that these decisions should aim to "best support their own residents and businesses as well as cater for visitors".

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The council's plan to implement a two-tier parking system could set a precedent for other areas in England facing similar challenges with tourism and local infrastructure.

Councillor Victor Abbott told GB News: "We’re planning on introducing an innovative new parking regime. It’ll be one of the first in the country and will extend across the whole of the District. The scheme will support local residents by freezing car parking charges but will raise the extra money we need by asking visitors to pay a little more.

“There’s been a huge rise in the cost of maintaining essential services which visitors use, such as car parks, toilets and beach cleaning. They will now contribute a fairer share of these increased costs. Everyone will be given the opportunity to give us their views on this two-tier approach when the details have been finalised. In the meantime, we are consulting with all our towns in the South Hams and listening to their views.”