COUNCIL SEASIDE PARKING CHARGES: Rip us off and we will never return, drivers vow
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31% would either leave the resort immediately or pay but resolve to never come back
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Government gives families summer savings – councils grab them back in parking costs
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Only 1% of drivers faced by sky-high parking charges would consider illegal parking as an alternative
Almost one in three drivers encountering parking charges of £20 to £30 for a day at the seaside would either leave the resort immediately or vow never to come back, research among 10,594 AA members* reveals.
This summer the Government has slashed VAT on family summer activities with its Great British Summer Savings (Great British Summer Savings: VAT slashed to save families money on days out - GOV.UK). In contrast, many councils at seaside resorts have done their best to pinch those savings through ridiculously expensive parking costs.
Last week saw the re-start of the Bournemouth trial of London-level parking fines (£50 / £70 normal - now £110 / £160 in August) to deter rogue parking on verges, double yellow lines, residential parking and roundabouts. Last year, the council overreached with these powers, applying the same fines to visitors who did what the council wanted by parking in an official car park but then committing a common and everyday offence, such as parking over the line, overstaying their time or not displaying a ticket properly.
While the AA understands that rogue parking close to the resort’s beaches had become so bad that more drastic measures needed to be tried to force better compliance, research suggests the council’s parking charges of up to £28 for a day at the seaside (Beacon Road car park | BCP, Bath Road South car park | BCP) may have contributed to the problem.
Derbyshire County Council, faced by equally bad parking in the Peak District, have combated the problem with ‘red routes’ – using double red lines ‘to highlight that vehicles cannot stop or park on the road, verge, or the pavement behind the lines’ (First Derbyshire red routes included in raft of new parking measures for Peak District tourist hotspot - Derbyshire County Council). They are using the £70 maximum normal fine outside London.
Parking at some seaside destinations now costs between £20 and £30 for six hours or longer. Which of the following, if any, best reflects how you would react if, having made a long journey, you were faced with such charges?
| Total | Male | Female | 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65 to 74 | 75 or older | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
There is no way I would pay that amount, and i would look for somewhere else to park legally e.g. a residential street or similar |
35% | 33% | 38% | 41% | 40% | 39% | 38% | 36% | 35% | 31% |
| I would be irritated by the cost but still pay it | 16% | 15% | 18% | 28% | 22% | 22% | 20% | 17% | 16% | 13% |
| I would be irritated by the cost, still pay it but resolve to never return to that resort again | 16% | 16% | 15% | 9% | 18% | 15% | 15% | 17% | 15% | 15% |
| There is no way I would pay that amount and would leave the resort for somewhere else | 15% | 17% | 13% | 5% | 4% | 9% | 12% | 13% | 18% | 19% |
| I would pay to stay at a hotel, B&B, campsite etc. and park there for free because the cost would be similar to that of parking for six hours or longer | 5% | 6% | 4% | 3% | 6% | 3% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 6% |
| I would consider it a fair charge and pay it | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| There is no way I would pay that amount, and, given the cost of parking, I would consider parking illegally and getting a fine | 1% | 1% | * | 3% | 2% | 1% | * | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| I don't know | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 4% | 4% | 6% |
| None of the above | 4% | 3% | 4% | 5% | 2% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 4% | 6% |
Bournemouth isn’t alone in charging exorbitant fees for seaside parking. Rother District Council charges £30 for more than six hours of parking at Camber Sands (Car Park Charges from 1st April 2026 – Rother District Council). Brighton charges £18 (Black Rock car park, King Alfred car park), and East Devon seaside car parks can charge £2.20 an hour (Car park locations and information - East Devon). The AA considers a stay of six to eight hours, perhaps from 10am or 11am to 5pm or 6pm, quite likely for a day at the seaside.
In contrast, many coastal car parks in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are free of charge. The most novel is a voluntary parking charge in Aberdeenshire (Voluntary parking charges - Aberdeenshire Council), a means of showing appreciation for visitor enjoyment and the facilities provided.
Resorts with expensive parking can be avoided by going to other beaches in the same region with much lower costs. For instance, parking for the day at Hayling Island is £11.50 (Notice of Variation - off street parking charges 2025 (10.03.25 update).docx | Havant Borough Council), or £9.60 for six to eight hours at Portsmouth’s Southsea (Council-owned car parks - Portsmouth City Council).
Sadly, only a quarter of drivers (24%) check parking costs before heading to the seaside, 12% assume the charges will be much the same as they pay at home, and 7% say they have previously been stung by high parking costs at resorts and now always check in advance.
“Summer visitors and the money they bring to coastal resorts are often the lifeblood of tourism and commercial vibrancy at these places. However, some councils use parking charges to leech excessive payments from day-trippers and holidaymakers, in the hope of filling the black holes in their finances. AA research shows they simply drive visitors away.
“Bad parking is unacceptable behaviour by drivers, for which Parliament affirmed the penalties in 2022 **, but parking charges that are close to or exceed the half-rate fines for early payment contribute to that bad behaviour. AA research shows that just one per cent of drivers lean towards illegal parking and fines as an alternative to paying excessive parking charges. A third will, however, look to see if there is somewhere else to park legally. That is a situation some councils have created,” says Jack Cousens, the AA’s head of roads policy.
“The other sad aspect is that sky-high parking charges siphon off potential visitor spending at businesses that rely on tourism. Their business rates also contribute to council coffers and undermining the commercial viability of these enterprises doesn’t make sense. The Government must also be miffed by rip-off parking charges grabbing the Great British Summer Savings they have been so keen to promote.”
* The survey was conducted by Yonder on behalf of the AA between 18 and 24 June 2026.
