Drivers are being overcharged for parking at British seaside towns, with councils charging as much as £20 to £30 for six hours in some spots, according to the AA, Britain's biggest motoring organisation.
A third of drivers who face parking charges of £20 to £30 at the seaside would either leave the resort immediately or vow never to return, according to new AA analysis of 10,594 members.
The AA said the high charges are effectively clawing back savings the Government has given families through its Great British Summer Savings scheme.
Some councils are also trialling higher peak-season summer parking fines. Bournemouth, for example, charges fines of £110 to £160 in August, more than double the £50 to £70 it normally charges.
The AA said the higher fines are designed to deter rogue parking on verges, double yellow lines, in residential parking areas and on roundabouts. But the organisation said Bournemouth Council overreached with these powers last year, applying the higher fines to visitors who parked in official car parks but committed everyday offences such as parking over the line, overstaying their time or failing to display a ticket properly.
Despite the steep charges, the AA's research found that just 1 per cent of drivers faced with high parking costs would consider illegal parking as an alternative.
Charges around the coast
Bournemouth is not the only place charging high fees for seaside parking. Rother District Council will charge £30 for more than six hours of parking at Camber Sands from April 1, 2026, while Brighton charges £18 at the Black Rock and King Alfred car parks, and East Devon seaside car parks can charge £2.20 an hour.
In Kent, Herne Bay charges £2.70 an hour up to £20, and Whitstable charges £3.80 an hour up to £30. In Southend-on-Sea, beachfront parking can cost £3 an hour depending on the zone.
Clacton in Essex charges between £5 and £8 to park for more than six hours, while Blackpool South Beach costs £9 and Blackpool's Central Pier costs £12.40 for eight hours. Westward Ho in North Devon charges £13 for all-day parking, and Whitby in North Yorkshire charges £13.10 to park at the Pavilion Top car park near the town.
By contrast, many coastal car parks in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are free.
Aberdeenshire has a voluntary parking charge that allows visitors to make a payment to show their appreciation for the facilities. Other councils are introducing red routes, using double red lines to mark where vehicles cannot stop or park on the road, verge or pavement, backed by the maximum normal fine of £70 outside London.
AA calls out councils
Jack Cousens, the AA's head of roads policy, said summer visitors and the money they bring to coastal resorts are often the lifeblood of tourism and commercial vibrancy in these places. He said some councils use parking charges to leech excessive payments from day-trippers and holidaymakers in the hope of filling the black holes in their finances, and that AA research shows this simply drives visitors away.
Cousens said bad parking is unacceptable behaviour by drivers, for which Parliament affirmed the penalties in 2022, but that parking charges close to or exceeding the half-rate fines for early payment contribute to that bad behaviour. He said AA research shows just 1 per cent of drivers lean towards illegal parking and fines as an alternative to paying excessive parking charges, while a third will look to see if there is somewhere else to park legally, a situation he said some councils have created.
From September 1, 2026, VAT will be temporarily cut throughout summer to help reduce the cost of days out and support businesses by increasing footfall. The Great British Summer Savings scheme makes children's meals in restaurants, kids' tickets to cinemas and theatres, and entry to a wide range of attractions cheaper.
Checking parking costs in advance
The AA found that only a quarter of drivers check parking costs before heading to the beach. Twelve per cent assume the charges will be much the same as they pay at home, and 7 per cent said they have previously been stung by high parking costs at resorts and now always check in advance.
Checking ahead can pay off, since drivers may find cheaper parking at a different resort or beach in the same region. Parking for the day at Hayling Island costs £11.50, while six to eight hours at Portsmouth's Southsea costs £9.60. Parking at West Wittering in Sussex costs £14.60 on weekdays without pre-booking, rising to £16.25 on weekends and bank holidays.
