FRESH anger has been sparked after Somerset Council approved a county-wide car parking review to be carried out by expensive outside consultants.

The bankruptcy-threatened council has already spent more than £40 million on consultants and agency staff since it was created in 2023.

Now, its executive leaders have signed-off more than another quarter-of-a-million pounds for consultancy Marston Holdings to conduct ‘whole town’ parking reviews, including introducing on-street charges.

The £272,824 study will look at introducing a five-tier car parking pricing model based on location and demand to replace what the authority said was the current ‘patchwork’ of rules inherited from former district councils.

Exmoor farmer and political campaigner James Wright slammed the move and called the expenditure ‘a waste of taxpayers’ money’.

Mr Wright said: “The council is effectively paying for a professional shield to distance itself from unpopular decisions.

“West Somerset is fed up of these constant changes.

“We only just fought off the disastrous plan for 24/7 charging in December, yet here they are again.”

Mr Wright warned the review was no more than a ‘revenue grab with a predetermined outcome’ and labelled plans to charge for currently free car parks an ‘insult to residents and a danger to businesses’.

Under the proposed new tiers, ‘premium’, or high-demand central parking spots could cost up to £1.90 per hour or £12.50 for a full day.

An all-day stay in rural village car parks could cost £5.20, although the first hour would remain free to support local businesses.

Mr Wright, chairman of the Conservative South West Rural Forum, was also angered by plans to ‘rationalise’ pay-and-display machines in favour of cashless payments.

He said there were fears of ‘digital exclusion’ and trade moving to out-of-town centres.

The council previously admitted its income projections were wrong after massive public opposition forced it to drop plans for Sunday charging in areas which were currently free, leaving the executive looking for new ways to plug its budget gap.

Council executive Chris Hall said the parking rates would not be confirmed until after Marston Holdings reported back on its survey work.

Mr Hall said the proposed parking fees were based on a combination of existing charges around Somerset and benchmarking against neighbouring local authorities.

He said a ‘parking policy principles’ document would provide a ‘clear, consistent, and transparent foundation’ for charges across Somerset.

Mr Hall said the charges would support ‘town centre vitality, sustainable travel, and long-term financial sustainability’.

A tiered pricing approach offered a ‘fair and evidenced’ method for setting tariffs according to demand and location, addressing ‘historical inconsistencies and improving customer clarity’.

Mr Hall said: “The proposals are being brought forward to establish a clear and consistent framework for how parking charges are managed across Somerset.

“The inherited differences in policies, tariffs, and operational practices have created inconsistency and unnecessary complexity for users, challenges for enforcement, and difficulties in maintaining a coherent countywide approach.”

Mr Hall said the council would ‘engage and consult’ with communities once it had approved the study’s final recommendations.