Council targets church-goers with a 700% parking fee increase to £17 to ‘help to deliver its carbon neutrality plan’ amid fury at ‘Soviet politburo–style move
- Winchester City Council has enraged locals with new and higher charges
- It says the new fees will reduce pollution as part of its eco-friendly policies
- Churchgoers attending an 8am Sunday service will now pay £5.10 to park
The council of a historic cathedral city has been accused of acting like the ‘Soviet politburo’ after it imposed a 710 per cent hike in Sunday parking charges to fund its efforts to go carbon neutral.
Critics have accused Winchester City Council of carrying out a ‘raid on motorists’ pockets’ by hiking prices to an ‘insane’ level on Sundays.
The move has enraged churchgoers who flock to the renowned Winchester Cathedral on Sundays for services.
One said the hike had been so steep, their ‘only hope is God’, while another church has publicly expressed its ‘extreme disappointment’ in the local authority.
Business owners are up in arms at the charges, fearing an impact on their ability to trade, while local residents have set up an online petition demanding a U-turn on the ‘damaging’ decision.
Colebrook Street car park, which sits in the shadow of Winchester Cathedral (centre), is among those to have Sunday fees hiked by Winchester City Council. Parking for more than four hours in some car parks has rocketed from £2.10 to £17 – an increase of 710 per cent
However, council decision-makers have dismissed calls to reverse the hike, quipping: ‘Air quality doesn’t care what day of the week it is.’
The new rates in the city centre were introduced in July, charging motorists the same on Sunday as any other day of the week as well as making them pay to park overnight for the first time.
Fees on a Sunday for more than four hours have increased in some car parks from £2.10 to £17 – an increase of 710 per cent.
The move was introduced by the council in a bid to reduce pollution by ‘helping to deliver the carbon neutrality plan’, which commits the local authority to delivering its services in an eco-friendly way by 2024.
But it has provoked wrath from cathedral-goers as one of the car parks affected is just a few hundred yards from the seat of the historic diocese.
Olive Bramley, who was born in Winchester and been attending services at the Cathedral all her life, said she was ‘incensed’ at the council’s decision.
‘I go to the eight o’clock morning community service every Sunday morning,’ the 74-year-old said.
Overnight tariffs have been introduced for parking before 8am – meaning anyone attending the Sunday morning service will pay £3.30 before they’ve even set foot in the cathedral
Mrs Bramley, from nearby Micheldever, Hants, travels eight miles every weekend because her local church doesn’t hold a Sunday service.
Arriving before the 8am start, Mrs Bramley pays the £3.30 flat overnight charge, as well as £1.80 as the new day rates begin as her mass starts.
‘I’ll have to pay £5.10 for parking and then £5 for the collection,’ she continued.
‘That’s £10 a week, £40 a month – that’s a lot of money in this day and age.’
Incredulous, she wrote to the council to check the new parking charges were correct. When she was told they were indeed correct, it was suggested she instead use a free car park a 15-minute walk away.
‘That’s quite a walk, not even necessarily for an old person, but for someone who finds walking hard,’ she said.
‘It’s not about me, it’s about everyone. There’s no thinking going on, it’s “let’s just get as much money as possible”.’
Signage put up at the car parks in Winchester makes clear that the new fees cover Sundays – and even bank holidays. Locals have accused Winchester City Council of acting like the ‘Soviet politburo’
Mrs Bramley, who is a retired chef at Winchester College, has long been involved with the ‘glorious and magnificent’ building where she used to sing in the choir as a youngster.
‘I think it’s bad it’s penalising people who want to go to church,’ she continued.
‘God is my only hope now, there’s no joined up thinking, no common sense.
‘I get cross when people go off and do crazy things with no thought because it ruins people’s lives.
‘There are old ladies who want to pray but I look at them and think are they going to be able to afford it?
‘If you don’t have £5, the council are taking away that pleasure.
‘Times change and I understand that but we need to be thinking and not making hot-headed decisions.
‘We should be looking after each other and that’s the main thing.’
Winchester Cathedral is more than 900 years old, first opening in 1093. It still holds weekly Sunday services for worshippers
Affecting all central parking areas, 1,211 parking spaces are subject to the new tariffs.
However, published council documents claim there is still a ‘significant’ number of spaces at park and ride or park and walk locations.
The park and ride does not run on Sundays.
An incensed Ted Hart called the council’s decision ‘insane’, and said: ‘They are starting to resemble the old Soviet Politburo where they implement any scheme they wish and appear accountable to nobody.
‘I don’t know if they live in Winchester but if they bothered to visit on a Sunday they would see what a vibrant place it is with the varied markets, attracting large crowds who no doubt visit our historical sights, pubs and restaurants.
‘The introduction of the £2 daily fee from free parking had not seemed to deter visitors but the increase to £17 after four hours will.
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‘Not content with trying to destroy our struggling businesses’ best day of the week, our Comrades are also having a go at the night-time economy with the new 24-hour parking charges.
‘The city council are supposed to work for the benefit of the city and its residents not wreck it.’
Nearby Hope Church is situated outside another affected car park, where the Sunday congregation and midweek volunteers leave their vehicles.
Church elder Steve Chick said: ‘As a large and active church based in the middle of Winchester we are extremely disappointed at Winchester City Council’s decision to introduce evening car parking charges in the city centre without any meaningful consultation.
‘Sadly in taking this decision little thought or consideration has been given to churches and voluntary agencies providing an important social care role, especially when Central Government funding of public services is under increasing pressure.’
Restaurant owner Miff Kayum, who runs the city’s highly rated Japanese restaurant Kyoto Kitchen, has labelled the move as ‘ill thought’ and ‘damaging’ as businesses struggle with the cost-of-living crisis.
Another local, who wished to remain anonymous, said: ‘Yet another unintended, but profoundly negative consequence of this well meant, but very poorly thought through and badly enacted policy.
‘It is increasingly looking to be nothing more than a raid on motorists’ pockets – and one that’s not a problem to those who can afford to pay, but very damaging to those that can’t.’
Cllr Kelsie Learney, Liberal Democrat cabinet member for the climate emergency at Winchester City Council, said: ‘In the end, air quality doesn’t care what day of the week it is or what time of day it is – and we have to keep working to improve it.
‘We continue to have easily available free parking for people working in or visiting the city in the evening and on Sundays.’
‘Politburos’ – short for ‘political bureaus’ – refer to the executive committees of communist parties, which would create policy.
The term first originated with the Bolsheviks in the early 20th century and is best known for its role in shaping party policy during the early years of Soviet Russia under Lenin and Stalin.
A number of communist-run countries still have politburos, including China, North Korea and Cuba.
Winchester Cathedral has been approached for comment.
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