Car parking fees in the Lake District are set to increase – with prices at one car park set to go up by 67 per cent for a two-hour stay.
Members of the resources committee for the Lake District National Park Authority are recommended to review and endorse the proposed car parking fee increases across the Lake District.
According to the draft medium term financial strategy 2024/25 report prepared for the meeting, the cost of parking at Brockhole, the authority’s visitor centre, could increase by 67 per cent to £5 for a two hour stay.
The report said: “Once endorsed, work will start immediately to implement the new fees to ensure machines and signage are in place; there is a lead in time for this work which may extend to several weeks, the new fees will go live as soon as practicable and may be prior to 31/3/2024.”
Visitor services budgets have been fully reviewed in light of the operating performance for 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years.
The last two years have seen the trading reserve fall from its £500,000 target balance to £0.
The report states: “A full operating review has been undertaken to reduce the risk of this recurring. Budgets have been set that allow the authority to continue providing a good service level to visitors while trying to address volatility in the net income.”
“Visitor services income represents around 45% of our total income over the life of the MTFS. Trading income from the visitor economy is demand-led, and demand can rise and fall significantly during any financial year as a result of the weather and wider economic conditions.”
All day charges for parking across the Lake District have remained the same.
Here is the full list of the proposed increases in the Lake District for two-hour and four-hour stays:
| Location | 24/25 proposed price for a 2 hour stay | 24/25 proposed price for a 4 hour stay | Increase on current price for a 2 hour stay | Increase on current price for a 4 hour stay |
| Hammar Bank | £4 | £5 | £1 | 50p |
| High Dam | £4 | £5 | £1 | 50p |
| Beech Hill | £4 | £5 | £1 | 50p |
| Station Coppice | £4 | £6 | £1 | £1 |
| Brown Howe | £5 | £7 | £1 | 50p |
| Pelter Bridge | £5 | £7 | £1 | 50p |
| Coniston Old Station | £5 | £7 | £1 | 50p |
| Monk Coniston | £5 | £7 | £1 | 50p |
| Dungeon Ghyll | £5 | £7 | £1 | 50p |
| Dunmallard | £5 | £7 | £1 | 50p |
| Pooley Bridge | £5 | £6 | £1 | 50p |
| Brockhole | £5 | £6.50 | £2 | £1.10 |
| Broadgate Meadow | £5 | £6.50 | £1 | £1 |
| Glenridding | £5 | £6.50 | £1 | £1 |
| Ruskin Avenue | £5 | £6.50 | £1 | £1 |
| Stock Lane | £5 | £6.50 | £1 | £1 |
| Waterhead | £5 | £6.50 | £1 | £1 |
| Walna Scar | – | £6 | – | £1 |
| Windermere School | – | £6 | – | £1 |
A small number of proposed increases have been deferred to 2025/26 to take account of ‘local circumstances’.
These include Ravenglass, Buttermere, Coniston Boating Centre and Hawkshead.
