22/09/25: Councils in discussion on the future of Breckland car parks

The future of Breckland's car parks could soon be confirmed, as local councils are currently discussing how car parking provision across the district is managed in the future.

Breckland Council has written to each of the area's five town councils to set out opportunities for the car parks to instead be owned or managed by the town councils in Dereham, Swaffham, Watton, Thetford and Attleborough going forward.

The various options being suggested by the district council have been crafted in response to feedback town councils shared over the past year and with consideration of legal requirements around the sale or transfer of public assets.

Breckland Executive Member for Property, Projects and Procurement, Councillor Paul Hewett, said: "We know how important car parking is for residents, shoppers, and local businesses, and we are committed to working in partnership with town councils to protect and strengthen this service.

"Town councils have been clear that they would like to play a greater role in how car parking facilities in their towns are managed and so we've worked hard to develop a range of options which could make that happen. We hope each of our town council partners will consider these opportunities as soon as possible and that one of the options will fit their needs and the needs of their towns."

If agreement can be reached between each of the town councils and the district council, it will secure the future of car parking provision in the district. If not, as the Government has announced its intention to replace existing district councils with new 'unitary councils' in the coming years, ownership of the car parks is expected to transfer to any incoming unitary authority, which would have responsibility for managing the car parks and considering whether they remain free or it is necessary to introduce a charge for parking.

"With changes to local government on the horizon, there is an opportunity for us to continue to work with town councils to shape a service that reflects the needs of their communities and put this in place before wider changes are put in place. By working collaboratively, we can give residents confidence that decisions about their town's car parks are being made locally, with their best interests at heart, rather than potentially being taken by a new, bigger authority in the future. We're grateful for the ongoing dialogue with town councils and look forward to continuing to work together to secure the right outcome for each town," added Cllr Hewett.