Isle of Wight Council ends free parking for electric vehicles

Summarised from Isle of Wight County Press's report · Updated 5 Nov, 21:51 · Archive

Isle of Wight Council will end free parking for electric vehicle drivers in its car parks, bringing EV parking arrangements into line with those for all other vehicles. The change comes as the council works towards setting a balanced budget for 2027/28 whilst facing unprecedented financial pressures.

The council introduced the free parking concession in 2023 as a temporary measure to support the uptake of EVs and encourage use of its expanding charging infrastructure. The original end date for the concession was 31 December 2024. Since then, the number of charging sessions across council car parks has grown significantly.

Michelle Love, the council's service director for highways and community protection, said the change reflects growing EV ownership and established charging infrastructure. She stated: 'Every vehicle occupies a parking space, regardless of how it is powered, and this change helps ensure parking arrangements are fair, equitable and financially sustainable.' She acknowledged the decision would disappoint some EV users but said the free parking was always intended as temporary.

Read the report

• Free parking for EV drivers to end in council car parksThe change will bring Isle of Wight Council EV parking arrangements into line with those applying to all other vehicles.Isle of Wight County Press · 5 Nov, 18:15

In this story: Isle of Wight Council · Michelle Love · Isle of Wight

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