Cornwall Council seasonal parking ticket price slashed for locals

Concerned shopkeepers Vicki and Andy Brett at the New Road South car park in Callington, where tariffs were increased last year

Cornwall Council has confirmed that residents will soon only have to pay half the cost of their seasonal parking ticket as part of price cuts. From April, those who use council-operated car parks will make a significant saving.

Available only for drivers who live in Cornwall for at least six months of the year, the offer will not be available to second home owners who only frequent the county on occasion. It’s part of the council’s aim to make parking more affordable for those who regularly use its car parks.

It follows controversial rises in the cost of parking in its car parks last year. In many of the county’s busiest car parks, it now costs £2.20 to park for an hour and up to £10 for over four hours. Free parking after 4pm has now been changed to a £2 fee after 6pm. Many places have seen free parking on Sundays scrapped too.

The Resident Season Ticket can be bought to cover a six, seven or 12-month time period. Tickets, available from April 1, 2024, are valid for use in one specified car park only.

Based on current prices a season ticket for locations like St Austell, Redruth, Launceston, Bodmin and Penryn will cost £160.65 for six months and £302.40 for a year.

In Camborne, Helston (Castle Green) and Cawsand it will be £105 for six months and £210 for a year, while a ticket in Truro, St Ives, Falmouth or Bude will be £273 for six months or £504 for the year. Tickets will be available to purchase from March 25.

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Richard Williams-Pears, Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for transport, said: “We remain committed to putting the infrastructure in place to make it easier for people to choose more sustainable options for how they travel. Road transport makes up about 25 per cent of Cornwall’s carbon emissions and so we all need to look at the journeys we make and the impact this has.

“However, we also know that there are residents who have no option but to drive and regularly park in one of our car parks – for example for work, or because there is no on-street parking near their home. And so, we’ve listened to what people have told us and will be introducing the Resident Season Ticket as a result.”

Recent changes to the JustPark ‘multi-use’ sessions also bring down the cost for people who regularly park in Council car parks. In response to feedback from residents, drivers can now use their sessions in the majority of long-stay Council car parks, rather than in only one specified car park.