A first resident parking permit in Bedford would go from £35.90 to £58.50 in January. Most other council charges would rise 8%, with a decision on 18 November.
A first resident parking permit in Bedford would cost £58.50 a year from January, up from £35.90. That is a rise of 63%, and it is the biggest jump among the charges most households pay.
Bedford Borough Council’s Executive will decide on Wednesday 18 November. The proposed fees and charges for 2027 put a default rise of 8% on most council charges from 1 January 2027.
Parking permits, car park season tickets and some bereavement charges go up by more. The report says the higher permit prices follow “a review of the administration costs and benchmarking against comparable local authorities”.
What permit holders would pay
The environment schedule sets out every permit charge, current and proposed:
| Permit | Now | From January | Rise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident, first vehicle | £35.90 | £58.50 | 63% |
| Resident, second vehicle | £105.65 | £132.95 | 26% |
| Resident, each vehicle after the second | £134.85 | £168.95 | 25% |
| Resident, change of vehicle | £7.25 | £10.00 | 38% |
| Resident, replacement for a lost permit | £14.50 | £20.00 | 38% |
| Visitor permit book | £21.65 | £23.50 | 9% |
| Healthcare worker, annual | £32.10 | £56.25 | 75% |
| Business, first vehicle | £290.60 | £348.55 | 20% |
| Business, second vehicle | £398.00 | £435.00 | 9% |
The annual healthcare permit rises the most in percentage terms, by 75%.
The council says the new prices will help it reduce “the current level of subsidy required to operate parking schemes”.
Car park and on-street charges
Pay and display charges rise by around 8%, rounded to the nearest 10p. The schedule says that is because the machines “do not accept 5pence pieces”.
| Where | Stay | Now | From January |
|---|---|---|---|
| On street, Monday to Saturday | 1 hour | £1.70 | £1.80 |
| On street, Monday to Saturday | All day | £9.90 | £10.80 |
| River Street, Riverside and St Marys Gardens | Up to 1 hour | £1.90 | £2.10 |
| River Street, Riverside and St Marys Gardens | Over 4 hours | £9.90 | £10.80 |
| Allhallows and Lurke Street | Up to 2 hours | £2.40 | £2.60 |
| Allhallows and Lurke Street | Over 5 hours | £8.90 | £9.60 |
| Queen Street | Up to 6 hours | £2.90 | £3.20 |
| Ashburnham Road | Weekday, all day | £9.90 | £10.70 |
| Robinson Pool and Foster Hill Road | Weekday, over 5 hours | £9.90 | £10.70 |
The free parking stays. The report confirms these will continue:
- two hours free every Saturday in the council’s town centre car parks
- free parking on Sundays, though Prebend Street and Ashburnham Road still charge, rising to £2.20 and £3.40 a visit
- two hours free Monday to Saturday at Queen Street multi-storey
Our page on free parking in Bedford lists the car parks where those free hours apply.
The council says the extra parking income will pay for new payment machines, which “have reached the end of their operational life”. It will also pay to renew parts of the multi-storey car parks that are “approaching the point of replacement”.
Parking fines do not change. They are statutory charges and stay at £70 or £50, halved if paid within 14 days.
Season tickets rise by up to 19%
Annual car park season tickets go up by more than the default. The figures include VAT.
| Car park | Annual now | Annual from January |
|---|---|---|
| Allhallows and Lurke Street | £1,875.50 | £2,164.70 |
| Ashburnham Road | £1,661.00 | £1,858.20 |
| St Peter’s Street | £1,406.95 | £1,660.20 |
| Prebend Street | £1,024.90 | £1,208.95 |
| Queen Street | £862.00 | £1,027.50 |
| Melbourne Street | £704.05 | £830.30 |
Bins, pests, cremations and allotments
Most household charges rise by about 8%:
- bulky waste collection: £45.50 to £49.10 for up to five items, and £70.40 to £76.05 for up to 12
- new or replacement bin: £56.65 to £61.20
- pest control for rats or mice: £96.80 to £104.50, with a reduced rate for people on full Council Tax Support
- wasp nest treatment: £91.30 to £98.60
- allotment, full-sized plot: £76.10 to £82.20, from the next tenancy renewal on 1 October
- telecare alarm service: £4.80 to £5.70 a week, which the council says is full cost recovery
Bereavement charges are set by “local benchmarking” against the market rather than the 8% default. An adult cremation rises from £1,042.40 to £1,140. A permit to put up a headstone goes from £110.70 to £150.
Some charges are frozen. The charter market rate stays the same because of “the risk of the loss of additional traders from the market”. Hire of park land and local land charges are also unchanged.
Why the council is doing it
The report says the council would not normally raise charges this far. It says that “in light of the financial position” it is “preferential to maximise income instead of cutting front line services”.
Its own figures show Bedford has lagged other councils on charges for a decade:
- fees and charges covered 48.3% of the council’s budget requirement in 2016/17, but only 41.1% in 2025/26
- income from them rose 41.9% over those ten years, against 61.6% for councils across England
- average wages rose 47.1% over the same period
The council’s budget monitoring report for the same meeting forecasts a £2.873 million overspend this year at the end of September. That is after £25 million of Exceptional Financial Support from the government.
What it means for you
- If you hold a resident permit, renewing after 1 January would cost £22.60 more for one car, and £27.30 more for a second.
- If you need a bulky collection or a pest visit, the current prices apply until the new ones take effect on 1 January.
- The decision is not final until Wednesday 18 November. The Executive meets at 2.30pm, and the meeting papers are public. Directors can also change charges later, after consulting the portfolio holder.
Statutory licensing fees are not in this report. They go to the Licensing Committee on 4 February 2027. Most children’s services charges follow the school year and are reviewed in March.
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