Drivers slam 'war on motorists' as popular tourist region doubles parking fines for first time in two decades

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WATCH: GB News discusses parking fees across the UK

Hemma Visavadia

By Hemma Visavadia


Published: 23/07/2025

- 16:26

Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council plans to increase parking fines from £35 to £70

A local authority has come under fire over its plans to double parking penalties in response to chaotic summer holiday traffic in a fresh blow to motorists.

Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council has been given the green light by the Department for Transport to increase standard parking penalties to £70, matching rates in the capital.


The Liberal Democrat-controlled council is set to implement the trial after thousands of penalty notices were issued during recent warm weekends.

Under the new changes, which will begin in August, the minimum penalty will rise from £35 to £70, or £140 if unpaid within a two-week window.

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Bournemouth beach and parking tickets GETTY/PA |

The council explained that the increased traffic fines would help crack down on drivers who park illegally

The initiative follows widespread illegal parking incidents throughout the seaside resort, with vehicles abandoned on pavements, grass areas, traffic islands and blocking private drivers.

The council will now begin a trial on the higher parking charges, before deciding to make them permanent across the Summer period.

Visitors previously faced penalties of £35, barely exceeding daily parking costs of approximately £20, making illegal parking an attractive risk for many tourists.

But the new structure represents a 100 per cent increase in penalties, with the council hoping this substantial rise will discourage unlawful parking behaviour.

Parking ticketsGETTY |

Under the new measures fines would increase from £35 to £70

Tom Hayes, Labour MP for Bournemouth East, noted that penalty fees had remained unchanged for two decades, causing widespread frustration. "The hope is that by having such a significant increase in parking fines, it can really have a deterrent effect," he told The Telegraph.

The August trial also coincides with peak visitor numbers, when parking demand reaches its highest levels across the region.

According to reports, more than 4,000 penalty notices have already been issued during three particularly hot weekends this year, highlighting the scale of the problem facing the coastal resort.

The resort has experienced severe parking disruption, with motorists abandoning vehicles on double yellow lines, footpaths, grass verges, traffic roundabouts and across residents' driveways.

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These incidents have created significant problems for locals attempting to access their properties, with the vehicles subsequently blocking paths.

Council leader Millie Earl shared: "When visitors make a choice to park illegally, we know that residents, and responsible visitors, want us to take robust enforcement action."

The council explained that there is enough legal parking within walking distance of beaches, even during peak periods, with officials arguing that the revenue from increased penalties will support patrol and enforcement costs.

But local residents have expressed divided opinions about the enforcement measures, with one person sharing: "Finally, about time. Let's see their faces when they realise it's not a measly £30 any longer."

Towed vehicle by BCP CouncilBOURNEMOUTH, CHRISTCHURCH AND POOLE COUNCIL |

The council is set to begin a higher parking charges trial in August

However, others voiced concerns about the broader implications. One resident warned: "As much as locals think this is brilliant, it isn't. We will all be stung as a result. It is all about BCP making money."

The resident argued that the council should focus on welcoming summer visitors and providing adequate facilities, noting insufficient parking provision as spaces are "auctioned off to the highest bidder". They warned local businesses could suffer without proper park-and-ride schemes.

The council's parking policies have attracted sustained criticism from residents who accuse the authority of conducting a "war on motorists".

The local authority previously sold multiple beachfront car parks, reducing available legal parking spaces, while spending £3million on cycle lanes that residents claim create a "nightmare" access to driveways.