SUNDAY car parking charges of up to £3.20 for the day look likely to be introduced in Wellington despite opposition from 93 per cent of people who responded to a Somerset Council county-wide survey.

A council scrutiny committee on Wednesday, November 19, voted to reject the idea of imposing charges in car parks which were currently free to use on Sundays.

But the council’s executive meeting on Wednesday, December 3, will further consider the issue and is expected to ask a full council meeting a week before Christmas to bring in the charges across Somerset from next year.

The charges across Somerset are calculated to raise about £730,000 toward a projected £101 million black hole in the authority’s 2026-27 budget.

More than 4,000 people and 86 businesses responded the consultation with 93 per cent of individuals expressing opposition and 67 per cent of businesses warning they would be negatively affected.

Many of the businesses warned of reduced footfall, increased displacement parking, and harm to already struggling high streets.

The Conservative opposition group of councillors said the consultation results were ‘decisive’ and ‘must be respected’.

Cllr Bob Filmer said a report by consultants was ‘heavily caveated’, and even the technical assessment stated local survey insights were essential.

He said Somerset’s towns did not all work in the same way and a consistent car parking policy did not require identical charges everywhere.

Cllr John Cook Woodman said the outcome of the consultation could not be clearer.

He said: “The people of Somerset have been unequivocal about this and they clearly said ‘no’, and they will see it as an anti-motorist attack by a cash-hungry council.”

Green party group leader Cllr Dave Mansell, from Wiveliscombe, said high streets were already suffering from ‘unfair competition’ from out-of-town retail parks, which generally benefited from free parking.

Cllr John Hunt said ‘virtually every human being’ he spoke to was ‘deeply against’ Sunday charging, and going against the public would make a mockery of the consultation process.

He said: “If you choose to vote in favour of Sunday parking charges, what is the point of this consultation, and why are we ignoring the overwhelmingly negative responses of the residents and businesses of Somerset?”

Taunton’s Kingdom Faith Church pastor Judith Butler told councillors her 200-strong congregation was made up of people from a surrounding area which included Wellington, Langford Budville, and Hemyock.

Pastor Butler said many also went on to do grocery shopping and have lunch, or shop in general.

She said Sunday parking charges would leave her congregation with less money to support the church.

Pastor Butler said if the council could make car parks free on Saturdays leading up to Christmas in order to attract people into town, it should be able to keep one day a week free throughout the year.

The council’s economic director Chris Hall said introducing Sunday charging would bring consistency for all Somerset car parks and more fairly spread the financial cost across users of operating and maintaining them.