Wiltshire parking charges to increase by 20% from September

Motorists across Wiltshire will face changes to parking charges and arrangements from 1 September 2026, following a public consultation involving more than 1,700 responses.

Wiltshire Council received 1,762 responses during the consultation and said feedback from residents, businesses, town and parish councils had resulted in several of its original proposals being changed or withdrawn.

The council's pay-and-display parking charges have remained unchanged since 2022, despite inflation increasing by around 28% during the same period.

From 1 September, parking charges will therefore increase by an average of 20%, with individual tariffs rounded to the nearest 10p.

Season tickets and parking permits will also increase in line with the revised tariffs, although the council says they will remain significantly cheaper than paying the normal daily parking rate.

One of the main changes will affect short-stay car parks, where charging hours will be extended to 7am to 7pm.

Long-stay car parks will continue to operate with the existing 8am to 6pm charging hours, apart from specific arrangements such as Dunns Lane car park in Castle Combe.

Sunday charging arrangements have also been revised following feedback from the consultation.

Sunday charging will continue to start at 10am, rather than the originally proposed 7am start, in an effort to support leisure and community activities.

There will be no Sunday on-street parking charges in Salisbury.

In short-stay car parks, Sunday tariffs will be aligned with weekday tariffs. Long-stay car parks, however, will continue to use their existing day-rate charging structure.

The Maltings car park in Salisbury will retain its existing charging hours because of its particular role in supporting hospitality and leisure activity in the city centre.

Weekend charges will also be introduced for public use of selected council-owned car parks, including County Hall in Trowbridge and the Bridge Centre in Chippenham.

Sunday charging will not be introduced at Cross Hayes in Malmesbury or Marlborough High Street, as these are on-street parking locations.

Wiltshire Council said the changes are intended to balance the needs of town and city centres with the cost of providing parking services and the wider transport needs of the county.

Cllr Martin Smith, Cabinet Member for Highways, said parking charges had not increased since 2022 and that the council needed to raise prices because of rising costs.

He said the additional income would help support the cost of providing parking services and allow the council to reinvest in wider transport infrastructure, including the rural bus network.

The council said the changes also support its wider transport objectives and its commitment under the Our Wiltshire Plan to improve public transport options across the county.

Residents, businesses and visitors are being encouraged to check the new tariffs and parking arrangements before the changes come into effect on 1 September.