Furious tourists have vowed to boycott a popular West Country beach after being hit with 'unacceptable' car parking fees. Woolacombe Beach in North Devon is a renowned destination for surfers and families and is recognised as one of the best in the county.
The beach is packed during the summer months, but some have now declared they would never return after being forced to fork out £12 for a day's car parking, reports Devon Live.
There are a choice of car parks to pick from if you’re visiting Woolacombe Beach alongside additional roadside parking for shorter stays. Both long stay car parks - The Esplanade Car Park or Sandy Burrows Car Park - are owned by Parkin Estates. Charges vary depending on the time of year, from £5 per day to £12 per day. The Esplanade Car Park offers an 'Early Bird' Scheme, meaning visitors leaving before 1pm, or arriving after 6pm benefit similarly.
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However some aren't happy with the structure in place. Reviews on TripAdvisor have called the fee a rip-off, while others have said they don’t mind it too much.
One visitor said the parking charge was extortionate and wasn't happy with having to pay a full-day rate despite only staying for one hour. She said: “Car parking… £10 for 1 hour?! We had no other choice but to pay it.
“Daylight robbery. We were taking little one for her first play in the sand, turns out she isn’t a beach babe! Otherwise we would have stayed longer. Should have gone to Wales. Waste of time- won’t visit again.”
Another tourist agreed that the parking charges were 'unacceptable'. They said: "Car parking charges have become extortionate and really are a rip off despite their contributions to RNLI and beach maintenance. Ten pounds to park a car for a day or an hour is unacceptable."
However, not everyone has been slating the parking charge, another reviewer said: “£10 for parking for the day might seem steep, but I really don't mind if facilities are provided in the sense of maintained toilets, rubbish bins and upkeep of the beach.”
The car parks are operated by Parkin Estates - which says the fees are integral to providing the high status and standard of the beach and facilities. Parkin Estates says: “Considerable ongoing investment is made to provide a high standard of well designed facilities, exceptional cleanliness, and community aimed projects sympathetic to Woolacombe’s historical and architectural background.”
The parking charges have been a point of contention for a few years, as Patricia423 reviewed the destination in 2014 and said the parking charges were a ‘rip-off’ then.
Overall, people are recommending visitors who are looking for a short stop at Woolacombe Beach to find elsewhere to park. But those who are after a full day at the beach, the flat fee is reasonable as it covers all the maintenance of the stunning location.
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