Petition to remove parking ticket machines from Lymington High Street

Thank you for your petition to remove parking ticket machines from Lymington High Street. This was received at the full Council meeting held on 27 November 2025 as part of the deputation made by Mr McConnachie and Mr Saunders who made the case that current County Council parking policy is directly harming the Lymington town’s economy.

At the same meeting, following your deputation, a debate about the impact of parking charges on the economic viability of High Street locations in Hampshire was held and a motion was approved that The Leader writes to all Council Leaders in Hampshire to identify how councils can work together to assess local need when setting on and off street parking charges.

The wording of the approved motion, is set out in full below:

This Council notes many high street shops and businesses are struggling in the current economic climate. The numbers of empty shops on our town and village streets are rising with the resultant negative impact on their local economies. Our communities need support to try and halt the retreating tide of movement to out of town shopping and business centres. Local people and businesses are calling for help.

The County Council undertakes on-street charging arrangements for some high street locations across the County. In such locations off-street parking, such as pay and display car parks, makes up on average well over 90% of available spaces, with the majority of these spaces owned by District and Borough Councils.

This Council therefore resolves to:

Engage with Districts, Borough and City Councils to review parking charges and in preparation for Local Government Reorganisation, work together to consider their economic impact on local businesses, taking account of the desirability of protecting and even enhancing the high streets of Hampshire’s communities and tasks the Leader to write to all Hampshire Council Leaders to encourage joint working to identify how Hampshire County Council, District, Borough and City Councils can respond to local need.

At the full Council meeting, Members considered that a joint approach is necessary because while the County Council is responsible for on street parking countywide, most town centre parking is off street and operated by Districts and Borough Councils.

The Leader will be writing to all District, Borough and City Councils to seek their willingness to work together to progress this matter. The effect of parking charges on businesses along Lymington High Street will be considered as part of this process.

Yours sincerely

Cllr Lulu Bowerman
Executive Member for Highways and Passenger Transport