Parking fees at Dorridge station

Free parking for up to two hours at Dorridge station car park as changes made

Tom Cramp - Local Democracy Reporter | Saturday 25th March 2023 10:30am

Changes to parking fees at Dorridge station mean that the first two hours of parking will now be free, Solihull Council has announced. There will also be free overnight parking to cater for groups and societies operating at the nearby Saint Philip's Church Centre.

Under the new tariffs, a fee will only be required for stays lasting more than two hours. Between two and three hours will cost motorists £1.20, while between three and four hours will be £2.20.

Four to six hours will involve a £3.20 fee, then anything above six hours will cost £5.00. The move comes after Solihull Council took back control of the car park in October 2022 after its lease agreement with Chiltern Railways ended.

The previous arrangement involved a £5 fee for all day and a £3.50 fee for half a day. The council has said it wants to better reflect the tariffs at Knowle station car park, which also allows two hours of free parking but a slightly cheaper rate of £4 for anything over six hours.

Head of Highway Management Paul Tovey said: “The big change on the car parking front this year was bringing back in-house the station car park at Dorridge. This sparked a number of concerns from the community in terms of wanting some free parking similar to what we've got in Knowle to accommodate activity at the adjacent Church Hall.

“We hear of all sorts of clubs going on from mother and toddler groups to table tennis groups and a whole host of church activities, most of which go on for two hours. We were asked in some circumstances to go up to three, but we've had a look at the options and are recommending consistency with the Knowle arrangements as it’s just up the road.”

Cllr Kathryn Thomas (Lib Dems, Lyndon) said: “Fully supportive of the changes to Dorridge station car park. I think it's great we are trying to encourage more people using the church to park in the car park, I think that's a good idea.”

Under the previous tariffs set by Chiltern Railways, the expected annual income from the car park was £71,250. The new prices are expected to earn the council £88,800 a year.

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