2025 Parking Survey
The Parish Council received HCC’s Report following the High Street Parking Survey conducted Summer 2023. The Report is available to read here. The Report is data driven and does not come to any conclusions or recommendations.
One of the attractions of living in Stockbridge, is the variety of shops and professional services on our doorstep, from the Co-op, Greengrocers, pharmacy, hairdressers, coffee shops, eateries, pubs et al to the Doctors Surgery, Dentist, Opticians, estate agencies etc.
Stockbridge is a busy, important hub within the Test Valley attracting shoppers from surrounding villages and occasional visitors from farther afield, either as a destination in itself for day visitors from far and wide who also eat, drink, shop, walk their dog or simply visitors stopping in the town whilst passing through. Stockbridge is, however, poorly served by public transport so those coming to the town need to drive and then park, invariably on the High Street.
It is well appreciated that the availability of parking and the safety of pedestrians could be improved by better and more considerate parking, eg. marked parking bays, cars not overhanging the pavement etc.
The PC has considered these issues over many years. The view has been and continues to be that we need to think carefully about the unintended consequences of paid parking. Fewer visitors could lead to shops, restaurants, pubs etc closing, altering the look of the High Street, making Stockbridge a less desirable place to live.
HCC is the authority responsible for on-street parking, maintaining roads and pavements but is facing a significant budget shortfall 2025-26 so has said that any changes will need to be funded by revenue raising such as by the likes of paid parking.
The knock-on effect of paid parking will likely mean that residents will need to buy Parking Permits (the cost would be determined by HCC), and there would be fewer visitors and shoppers. Traders are already facing both an increase in overheads in the form of rates, an increase in the Minimum Wage and Employers NI Contributions come April. Staff, many likely on minimum wage, are reliant on their own transport to come to work here. Paid parking would likely be a significant cost to these workers each day/week and a possible deterrent to them coming to work here.
An unintended outcome of paid parking on the High Street could be staff parking for free on grass verges, other roads such as New Street, Trafalgar Way and Old London Road, all busy roads in themselves with the likes of the Doctors Surgery, the Primary and Pre-school and visitors walking/cycling the Test Way. This could also lead potentially to additional restrictions in time by extending paid parking to such roads as well.
The PC, whilst keen to see better and more considerate parking, continues to believe paid parking would be detrimental to Stockbridge going forward, both to residents who want to be able to shop locally and especially to traders both in terms of their attracting and retaining staff and their longer-term profitability.
The PC needs to understand the views of both residents and traders before a response is made to HCC and is therefore asking all residents and traders to respond to our simple survey that asks if you would support paid parking (with its consequences) or not.
It is really important that as many people respond to the survey as possible (but only one response per person please). If you prefer a paper version, please contact the Clerk and one will be mailed over to you. The paper versions need to be returned via Hoxtons Bakehouse or Pregos. The survey will close 30th April so please make sure you have your response in by then.
Please click on the link below to access the online survey (the preferred method of receiving the survey results). Only one survey per person please.