A road in the seaside town of Bournemouth has generated £24,160 in parking fines over the past year, with 389 penalty notices issued. The fines were for offences including parking in restricted areas and overstaying, according to figures from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council.
Of the 389 fines, 135 were for parking in restricted areas, 126 for overstaying, 49 for failing to display a valid permit, 30 for waiting or unloading where banned, 29 for loading-bay violations, and six for parking in disabled bays.
Plans to double fines draw criticism
A trial last August saw parking fines and penalty charge notices doubled on St Stephen's Road. The trial is set to run again in August 2026, with fines for higher tariff offences rising from £70 to £160. However, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has criticised the plan, saying that during the 2025 trial, her officials' advice was not fully followed and the final report was published without further engagement with Department for Transport officials.
AA president Edmund King also questioned the initial trial, stating that the report showed the Department for Transport was not happy with how the council used its special powers.
Council defends trial
Councillor Richard Herrett, cabinet member for parking at BCP Council, responded to Ms Alexander, saying the trial was implemented on 10 working days' notice and that officers worked collaboratively with DfT officials. He said: 'We are proud of the work undertaken by our officer team which has since been recognised as best practice by other local authorities, and industry experts. We delivered everything that was possible in the timescale set by the DfT. We are committed to working with Government to secure a permanent solution to reduce illegal parking.'
He added that St Stephen's Road is already covered by parking restrictions but that this does not always offer an effective deterrent, as the figures show. He said the upcoming trial offers another opportunity to show that increased fines work.
