How we got here
The short version: the High Street car park has been "under review" since 2022. Depending on how you count, there have been either three or five distinct redesign proposals, each one quietly walked back. Residents want more spaces. Shopkeepers want more turnover. The council wants everything to cost less. These are not compatible asks.
What the current scheme does
The latest proposal — published quietly over Easter — removes fourteen long-stay spaces and converts them to two-hour maximum stay. It also introduces a £1.20 per hour charge on Sundays, which is new. The consultation document runs to 48 pages and is clearly written for committee members, not residents.
Seven consultations in, the car park has fewer spaces than when it started — and it costs more to park in them.— a councillor who asked not to be named
What happens next
The consultation closes at the end of the month. If you care, submit a response — they do read them.