Draft North Northamptonshire-wide car parking strategy on Executive agenda

07 September 2026

A draft car parking strategy which aims to provide a consistent, fair and transparent approach, whilst ensuring that all car parks cover their own costs, for all council-owned car parks will be discussed next week.

Following discussion by Councillors next week, the draft strategy will go out for public consultation. At this stage, no final decisions have been made on parking in North Northamptonshire Council owned car parks.

The draft strategy brings together the wide range of parking arrangements inherited from the former district and borough councils, aiming to improve customer experience, reduce congestion in town centres and support more sustainable travel choices.

Currently across North Northamptonshire residents, visitors and businesses regularly encounter differences in pricing, payment options and parking rules depending on where they are in the area and the standard of parking. The draft strategy looks to reduce confusion for users, making the parking experience clearer with one standardised approach across all car parks. 

It is proposed that a banded approach to tariffs is introduced (subject to the necessary consultation and amendments to Traffic Regulations Orders) at all North Northamptonshire Council owned car parks. 

As part of the draft strategy, a number of car parks across North Northamptonshire are proposed for the introduction or retention of parking charges. It is hoped that the proposals will reduce the financial burden to the council and ensure that car parking across North Northamptonshire is self-sustaining. Included within the draft strategy are proposed tariffs which would ensure that car parks cover their costs including business rates, utilities, repairs and maintenance. By law any surplus generated through car parking costs must be spent on defined uses including highway improvements, public transport improvements and environmental measures.

At present, where no tariff is charged for a public car park, the provision of the car park is effectively paid for by all taxpayers in North Northamptonshire rather than the users of the car park. Adopting a “user pays” principle provides a consistent, reliable and sustainable option for users. 

Proposals also include a phased investment programme to improve the quality, appearance and functionality of council car parks. Investment will be prioritised so that funding is focused on the sites where it can make the greatest difference, considering factors such as condition, usage, accessibility, safety and customer experience. 

Other proposals include increasing the use of contactless, cashless and app-based payment options and increasing electric vehicle infrastructure and improving accessibility and customer experience.

A clear and consistent approach to parking is essential for our growing towns and communities. This draft strategy is designed to help ensure that all North Northamptonshire Council owned car parks are fair, accessible and easy to use, while also supporting local businesses by improving the availability and turnover of spaces at some sites which have been mis-used over the years.

It is hoped that proposals to modernise our systems and harmonise tariffs could resolve the disparity of the current system, whilst improving the service and ensure that parking services remain self-sustaining for the future.Cllr Chris McGiffen, Executive Member for Highways and Travel at North Northamptonshire Council.

When our corporate plan was agreed unanimously by all councillors last year, we committed to fairer public services which cover the whole of North Northamptonshire.

This draft strategy is a prime example of this and something I look forward to discussing with colleagues. But this is not a done deal, and we plan to launch a full public consultation shortly to allow all residents and visitors to have their say.Cllr Martin Griffiths, Leader of the Council.

If the report is approved, formal public consultation on the draft strategy will begin as soon as possible and promoted via the council’s channels. The findings of the consultation and draft strategy will then be reported to the council’s Scrutiny committee before a final strategy is presented back to the Executive for approval in early 2027. 

North Northamptonshire Council’s Executive will meet on Tuesday 15 September at 10am at the Corby Cube and the papers are now available online. The meeting will be livestreamed on YouTube.