National Park visitors to pay more for parking

The Peak District National Park Authority is to introduce and increase pay and display charges at 13 of its car park locations.

New payment machines will go live from the first week of November (2023).

The introduction of fees at the locations follows an earlier consultation on car parking charging undertaken in 2022, with officers stating they have deliberately chosen to avoid installing new systems until after regional recent half-term breaks.

Fees at the new sites will remain at 2023 rates already in place at other Authority car parks.

Regular visitors can also apply for a £40 annual permit making a weekly day visit less than 80p per stay across a year.

The addition of new locations means that 31 of the Authority’s 44 sites will now require a payment, with 13 still remaining free of charge. The Authority manages some 1,800 designated parking spaces across its portfolio in the Peak District, with almost all in rural areas.

Blue badge holders may continue to park in all locations with designated bays for free.

Those using the new pay and display sites will be able to pay via card or cash depending on the technical limitations at the location. A full list will be available on the National Park Authority’s website.

In a consultation held during 2022, the Authority highlighted that their pay and display sites and fees remain in line with, or lower than other providers in the National Park. Annual permits for regular users also represent a substantial saving and are among some of the most competitively priced across national parks throughout the UK.

A spokesperson for the Peak District National Park Authority said: “We recognise everyone is still facing an ongoing cost of living challenge and every pound and penny in the pocket is valuable to those visiting the Peak District.

“Unfortunately, our own costs for maintaining car parks and providing free facilities at many of these locations such as public toilets and 35 miles of our all-user accessible trails are also bearing significant cost increases.

“This should also be seen in the context of a ‘real terms’ cut to our overall Authority budget of some 40% over the last decade, meaning we have much less resource to manage the same level of operations.

“Following the earlier consultation process, we’re pleased to continue to offer extremely affordable annual permits for those who visit the Peak District frequently, and our day fees remain competitive with other parking offerings in the region.”

The National Park Authority is one of a number of organisations who operate parking provision in the national park including county and district councils, charities and private landowners.

The Authority car park locations affected by the changes include: Minninglow, Thorpe Station, Narlows Lane, Hooks Carr, Upper Burbage, Dennis Knoll, Alstonefield, Blore Pastures, Milldale, Friden and Derwent Outlook.