Seaside town ‘driving away tourists' with two-tier parking charges
Locals have criticised their seaside town's two-tiered parking charges.
Beck Gordon, who owns a cafe and fishmonger in Salcombe, south Devon, claims day-trippers have stopped visiting.
Owners of second homes, which make up about 60 per cent of the properties in this picturesque seaside town dubbed Chelsea-on-Sea, are already charged double council tax.
But now tourists have been hit with a differential parking scheme, after the Lib Dem-led council introduced a £10-a-day parking charge.
It means that while South Hams District Council is charging tourists up to £10 for a day's parking, locals can pay £5 for an annual permit that lets them use the town's car parks for £8 a day.
The town is reliant on tourists and some business owners fear they will now be dissuaded from visiting, with some reporting a much quieter Easter holiday than usual.
Ms Gordon said: 'It's quieter generally. The parking's definitely an issue.
'In terms of day-trippers, if you talk about more local people, they definitely don't come anymore.'
She revealed it was cheaper to pay for a parking ticket a week than to use the car park.
'Sometimes you get lucky and the parking guys don't come round for one or two days so you end up with maybe two parking tickets a week – but it's cheaper to pay for one or two parking tickets a week than it is to park in the car park, which is absolutely ridiculous.
'We probably pay anywhere between £25 and £50 a week in parking tickets whereas if we parked in the car park it would cost us £70.'
One cafe manager, who didn't want to be named, said she spends £120 of her wages on parking.
'It's affecting workers in the town. Because I park before 8am, I have to go for 24-hour parking at Creek car park, which is ridiculous. Yes, I can buy a parking permit, but that's so much money and I only work three days a week.'
Cllr Julian Brazil, executive leader of the council's community services, said: 'We'd like to do everything to help the tourism trade and we have kept our car parking charges as competitive as possible. Residents of the South Hams can benefit from our discounted resident parking scheme.
'Many workers in Salcombe have benefited from our competitive parking permits which offer significantly lower long-term parking compared to our pay on the day rates.
'Be under no illusion, we don't want to increase prices, but this is the best choice for us under the circumstances we find ourselves in.
'Our prices have been frozen for four years, and now everyone who benefits from our public services are being asked to contribute, and that includes our visitors.'
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Investing £5k of savings can generate a passive income of…
Buying dividend shares is a rapid and simple way to start earning a passive income. As with every investment, there are risks involved. But such threats can be managed through prudent decision-making and portfolio diversification. And when done well, the subsequent income stream can be quite lucrative, especially in the long run. So let's say an investor has £5,000 of capital sitting in a savings account. How much passive income can this money generate overnight and over the long term? The amount generated depends on which dividend stocks an investor decides to buy. Most tend to stick with simple index tracker funds. And right now, the FTSE 100 index offers a respectable 3.4% yield. That means, overnight, a £5,000 could generate a passive income of £170 a year. Obviously, that's not a groundbreaking sum, especially since many savings accounts offer similar returns right now at much lower levels of risk. However, there's also capital gains to take into consideration. And when combined with the dividend yield, the FTSE 100's historically generated close to an 8% annualised return for investors. Let's assume this trend continues over the next decade. What does this mean for an investor's passive income if they decide to reinvest any dividends between now and 2035? Without any additional capital, the original £5,000 will have grown to around £11,100. And if the yield's still 3.4%, that means the passive income stream will reach £377.40. That's a notable improvement. But what if we can do even better? Instead of relying on an index fund, investors can take matters into their own hands and invest in individual stocks directly. And right now, there are plenty of FTSE 100 constituents offering significantly higher yields. Take Aviva (LSE:AV.) as an example to consider. Today, the insurance giant already offers a more impressive payout with a 5.9% yield. So a £5,000 investment would instantly unlock an annual passive income of £295. But those who hopped on the bandwagon just five years ago are already earning considerably more. Following the appointment of CEO Dame Amanda Blanc in 2020, the company has undergone a significant transformation. It divested its non-core business ventures, raising over £8bn while simultaneously streamlining operations. Pairing this increase in efficiency with boosted activity within the annuity market, courtesy of higher interest rates, shareholders have been immensely rewarded. The Aviva share price has more than doubled, turning a £5,000 investment into £10,400. And at the same time, dividends were hiked by an average of 18% a year, turning an already substantial 5.3% yield at the time into a 12.2% payout. As such, a £5,000 initial investment in 2019 is now generating a passive income of £1,268.80. Sadly, Aviva shares aren't guaranteed to replicate this success between now and 2030. The company's still attempting to digest its £3.7bn acquisition of Direct Line Group. And with the UK government flirting with new mandates to force pension funds to invest more in UK assets, compliance-related costs of evolving regulation could create new headaches that impede performance. Nevertheless, Aviva serves as a good example of how stock picking opens the door to potentially superior returns in the long run. The post Investing £5k of savings can generate a passive income of… appeared first on The Motley Fool UK. More reading 5 Stocks For Trying To Build Wealth After 50 One Top Growth Stock from the Motley Fool Zaven Boyrazian has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Motley Fool UK 2025
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Man United announce surprising third quarter profits for 2025
Manchester United have announced that they have made a profit in the third quarter fiscal results of 2025. There were fears for the company's economic situation after an interview by Sir Jim Ratcliffe in March where he claimed the club would have run out of money in December if not for his investment. Advertisement Nonetheless, United have made a strong start to the transfer window by agreeing to pay Matheus Cunha's £62.5 million release clause and offering north of £60 million for Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo. Through clever accounting, it also seems that United will not have the PSR problems that most thought they would have and that they will have more wiggle room . The club have released their quarter results on the official website and have claimed that 'the company recorded an operating profit £0.7m in the quarter compared to an operating loss of £66.2m in the third quarter of 2024. What's more, 'total revenues increased 17.4% in the quarter with increases across all three key revenue streams, driven by additional matches played in the quarter as a result of strong performance in the UEFA Europa League and high demand for the club's hospitality offering.' Advertisement Commercial revenue has seen an increase of 7.3% in the third quarter last year from £69.6 million to £74.7 million. Moreover, broadcasting revenue has grown from £37.5 million to £41.3 million, which accounts for a 10.1% growth. Matchday revenue has also seen a big jump from £29.6 million to £44.5 million owing to greater European involvement this year. Overall, The Muppetiers YouTube channel analysed that the club could actually break even this year if the current course is continued. It is claimed that fourth quarter projections could grow in broadcast, commercial and matchday revenue. To sum up, United are on course to lose a lot less money as they lost £29 million in 2023, a staggering £130 million last year but may even make a profit this year according to The Muppetiers. Advertisement United are still not totally in the clear though despite their improvements on the spreadsheet. Debt is still a concern and that will only continue to grow as United plan for an active transfer window to replenish their ailing squad. The BBC reported that around '£1.2bn has been spent on debt interest, debt repayments, dividends and fees to the Glazer family since their takeover 20 years ago.' Furthermore, the club is certainly lacking in cash flow. According to The Athletic, the cash reserves have fallen to £73.2 million. Therefore, player sales will still be essential in spite of the improving financial situation. The Muppetiers predict that the Red Devils can perhaps spend £200 million net with no issues in the transfer window but without sales, this could put the club on the precipice for next summer. Advertisement It was also reiterated that cash flow remains the biggest problem, therefore the structuring of deals over instalments is probably a greater sticking point in negotiations than overall price. All in all, United fans will hope that after months of bad press over their new owners, that finally, the club has something to be cautiously optimistic about over its financial future. Featured image by Justin Setterfield via Getty Images Follow us on Bluesky: @
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'We are the guardians of nearly 100,000 people'
A Bedford cemetery that is the resting place of 33 Scottish servicemen, the man who married the abdicated Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson and a locally famous dog is "full of history", a trustee said. Special events to mark Foster Hill Road Cemetery's 170th anniversary are due to take place on Saturday and Sunday. Caroline Jones, part of a group that looks after the site, said: "We are extremely mindful we are the guardians of the resting place of nearly 100,000 people. "It gets into your blood and we're keen to share how wonderful it is." In June 1855, the town's first municipal cemetery opened in response to overcrowded churchyards in the town and concerns around public health. It is a closed cemetery, meaning there is no more space available for burials. It is now managed by the Friends of Foster Hill Road Cemetery, which has more than 20 active volunteers who repair and clean the headstones and record information. Trustee Adrian Bean, who regularly hosts walks around the site, admitted no-one "really famous" was buried in its grounds but "lots of very interesting people are". "It's the lesser-known people I find the most interesting," he added. Some of those buried include brewer Charles Wells, members of the Panacea Society which runs a local religious group and Danuta Gruszczynska-Alasinska - a member of the Polish Resistance who was captured and imprisoned in Germany in World War Two. The aunt and cousin of World War Two codebreaker Alan Turing have also been laid to rest at the site. Among the most poignant burials are the graves of 33 Highland Division men, who were billeted to the town in 1914 during World War One. The men did not die in action but from infectious diseases like measles, scarlet fever and diphtheria, Mr Bean said, as they were from a remote part of Scotland and had not built up immunity. Elsewhere, an unmarked grave shows the final resting place of Reverend Robert Anderson Jardine - the man who defied the orders of the church to marry the former King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson in France in 1937, and was said to have ended up penniless. "He has no connection to Bedford - he just happened to be passing through and died," said Mr Bean. Meanwhile, the cemetery is also the resting place of a furry friend that made the cemetery its home for a decade. One grave is marked "In memory of C.D.", which stands for Cemetery Dog. Telling its story, Mr Bean said in the 1980s the cemetery was manned by grave diggers, groundsmen and admin staff before the new cemetery on Norse Road was opened. "One day a stray Jack Russell dog appeared, mainly at lunchtime. Staff fed him and he came back every day. "They tried to take him home, but he stayed - and one day they arrived and he was dead." He said at the time, in 1994, there was a big debate that appeared in the local newspapers regarding where he should be buried, "but they buried him here anyway". Describing the cemetery, Ms Jones added: "You can see the heritage of Bedford played out in front of you - from nurses, doctors, suffragettes, servicemen and women, and ordinary folk here. "We want everyone to be able to come here and see the history of the town, the wildlife and the landscape - it's well worth preserving for future generations." To mark the anniversary, a private event will take place on Saturday where a memorial will be unveiled for anyone buried on the site without a headstone. On Sunday, the chapel will be open from 13:30 BST, with two guided walks taking place to showcase the site's history. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. The cemetery that inspires authors and artists Graves of 'Bold and Brave' women honoured Bestselling author gives older women 'a voice' Foster Hill Road Cemetery
