BCP Council Considers £160 Parking Fines Around Schools

£160 Parking Fines Could Be Extended Beyond BCP Seafront

Higher Seafront Parking Fines Could Be Extended to School Areas Higher parking fines introduced across hundreds of coastal roads in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole could be extended to roads around schools following a month-long trial. During August 2026, BCP Council increased fines for serious illegal parking to £160 across 543 coastal roads between Sandbanks and Southbourne. The trial has now ended, with the council set to discuss its findings with the Department for Transport before deciding what happens next. Cllr Richard Herrett said higher fines could potentially be introduced around schools, where illegal parking can create serious safety concerns, particularly as schools return after the summer break. The increased seafront penalty was reduced to £80 for motorists who settled the fine within 14 days. The trial also included a £100 wheel-clamping charge and a £280 fee to release a vehicle from a pound. According to the council, a similar trial using the higher "London level" fines previously resulted in a reduction in the number of parking fines issued. Cllr Herrett said last year's trial recorded a 15% reduction in illegal parking and said the council hoped to see a similar result from the latest scheme. However, the council has stressed that it is too early to say whether this year's trial has been successful. Enforcement data and feedback are still being analysed. The possibility of extending higher fines to school areas comes as local concerns about illegal parking around schools are expected to increase when pupils return. Cllr Herrett said illegal parking around schools is one of the most common issues raised with him, adding that safety in those locations could be more important than around the seafront. The trial has also faced criticism from some local hospitality businesses. Harriett Ellis, owner of Baffi in Canford Cliffs near Sandbanks, said the higher fines could discourage customers from visiting and affect local businesses. BCP Council's head of parking operations and enforcement, Helen Taverner, said the second trial had provided further evidence about the impact of higher parking fines on busy coastal roads. The council is now analysing the enforcement results and feedback alongside the Department for Transport. The outcome of those discussions will help determine whether the higher parking fines become permanent or are introduced more widely across BCP. For drivers, the potential expansion would mean that illegal parking around schools could face the same level of enforcement currently being tested across the seafront, although no decision to introduce the higher fines in school areas has yet been confirmed.