Major changes to the way people use parking in Herefordshire have been welcomed, from a group that has lately been vocally opposed to the county’s transport policy.
Herefordshire Council’s draft Parking Strategy 2026-2041 says the 40-odd car parks it operates around the county will move to “pay on exit”.
This “is a shift to more modern, integrated technology, meaning those parking will pay before they leave the car park rather than when they initially park”, the strategy says.
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To make it happen, the council will install barriers, sensors and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) systems at entry and exit points, coupled with payment systems that calculate charges automatically based on the time a vehicle is parked.
Such a system is already in use at the privately run Old Market in the city.
The council also plans to
- Increase parking charges annually in line with inflation;
- Offer “multi-day” parking tickets allowing visitors to park for 48 hours, 72 hours or even a full week;
- Make it easier for visitors to find coach parking and overnight parking;
- Expand the use of camera enforcement of parking restrictions, particularly around schools, within residents’ parking zones, and on parking-free “red routes”.
It also restates the current administration’s commitment to build a multi-storey car park at the county bus station to make up for the loss to development of the Merton Meadow car parks.
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However, the strategy says it will not be investing in enforcement of moving transport offences, such as banned turns, waiting in yellow box junctions or minor lane violations, as the previous county administration had proposed.
“If it doesn’t improve safety, traffic flow or fairness, we won’t enforce it,” the council now says.
It will also look at handing over car parks to other operators interested in taking them on, and likewise will also consider taking on new car parks where they meet its policies.
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“Overall the strategy looks pretty good in theory,” campaigner and Herefordshire Transport Forum spokesperson Amanda Martin said.
“There are welcome measures such as moving to pay-on-exit, and better enforcement.”
But she questioned “the underlying assumption that plentiful parking is the answer”, saying it “needs to be carefully located and integrated into good street design”.
“Putting a multi-storey on the old bus station site isn’t going to achieve that,” she said.
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