Free Sunday parking could end by December

Free Sunday parking in pay-and-display car parks could end as soon as December for drivers in Somerset.

A move to bring in parking charges seven days a week has been in the works for months, but has proven controversial and was voted down by councillors in December 2025.

Now Somerset Council has confirmed the changes will be voted on by its executive committee on 23 September, ahead of changes possibly being introduced in December.

Councillor Richard Wilkins, the council's lead for highways and transport, said the move was about "fairness and consistency" across the county.

Council leaders said the introduction of Sunday charges will mean "ironing out disparities in practice between different towns, whilst supporting local businesses and residents".

Under the plans, the council has assessed every car park it owns and put them into a new five-tiered pricing structure depending on their location and how well-used they are.

It is being recommended charges are introduced in car parks in tier one, which are based in Taunton, Yeovil and Bridgwater.

Car parks in tier four, which are mainly located in rural villages, will maintain free parking on Sundays for the first hour.

No changes will be made to free car parks or current on-street parking arrangements in towns until "further engagement with communities, local members and businesses" gets under way in October, a council spokesperson added.

Tim Mander, chair of Bridgwater Town Council, said his local authority was "firmly opposed to the introduction of Sunday charges".

"One of the reasons why [is] obviously the town is generally quieter on Sunday and [free parking is] more of an incentive for people to come in and use the shops and facilities in the town centre," he added.

Wilkins said the tier structure meant there was "plenty of room to accommodate different types of car park and usage, to reflect the role of each car park in supporting the local economy", including some time-limited free parking and lower tariffs in more rural areas.

"Tariffs at the busier end of the spectrum in bigger centres are aimed at encouraging turnover and sustainable travel into Somerset's towns," he added.

The report is being reviewed by the council's climate, environment and place scrutiny committee on Thursday, and will go to the executive committee later in the month.

The tiers have already been agreed in principle, the council said, but decisions on specific prices will need to be formally approved by the executive committee.

This will involve a new policy being published, followed by a 21-day period when objections can be registered and considered.

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