Word on the Street: How will the axing of free parking affect Felixstowe?

It was announced yesterday that there will be changes to the cost of parking in Felixstowe – we asked people in Ipswich what they thought about the issue.

Suffolk Coastal is aiming to raise £178,000 more annually in income towards the £240,000 needed a year for the cost of operating its new role in enforcing yellow lines and other on-street parking infringements from April 2019.

It plans to raise this money by axing free parking, raising ticket prices by 10%, and from the return of traffic wardens.

In Felixstowe the changes include introducing charges at the port viewing area at Landguard, Manor Terrace, Eastward Ho (The Grove) and Garrison Lane.

The half a dozen free 30-minute spaces in Highfield and Crescent car parks will also be removed.

On the seafront, residents’ parking zones will be set up in some of the sidestreets – after 30 years of campaigning by various councillors and groups.

The roads between Langer Road and Sea Road are full in summer with residents forced to park streets away from homes.

While they will have to pay for permits, they will be able to park more easily and daytrippers will have to use the car parks.

See where else will be affected by the parking changes here.