CONTROVERSIAL plans to introduce full Sunday parking charges in Salisbury have sparked a growing backlash from councillors and business leaders.

Wiltshire Council approved the changes as part of its £567 million budget last month, with the measures passing by a single vote.

The plans will align Sunday parking tariffs with weekday rates and extend charging hours from 7am to 7pm.

Critics say the move could discourage people from visiting the city centre on one of its busiest leisure days.

Cllr Sven Hocking for Harnham East said he was “really disappointed with a budget that included… extended parking hours [and] increased Sunday parking charges”.

He warned the change would alter the long-standing appeal of visiting the city on Sundays.

Cllr Sven Hocking.

He said: “Sunday was the one day when people didn’t need to watch the clock when visiting the city so the message was ‘come and stay for the day’, now it’s ‘come and stay for the day, if you can afford it’.

“Our local and independent businesses are already under the cosh and the last thing they need is for their local council to give their customers a reason to stay away.”

Cllr Chris Taylor for St Paul’s also criticised the move, saying: “Businesses in Salisbury are struggling. Hammering Sunday shoppers and those that attend church will be very unhelpful.”

Cllr Chris Taylor.

The issue will now be discussed at Salisbury City Council’s Full Council meeting on Monday (March 9).

Cllr Taylor is proposing a motion opposing the changes, warning that “dramatically increasing charges on Sundays will have a significant impact on both church goers and retail businesses who currently rely on Sunday trading”.

A separate motion from councillor Annie Riddle states that aligning Sunday parking charges with weekday rates could “damage Salisbury’s retail, leisure and hospitality businesses”.

Cllr Annie Riddle.

Business leaders have alreadyvoiced strong concerns.

In a letter to the council last month, the Salisbury & District Chamber of Commerce described the proposals as potentially damaging to the city centre economy.

“Parking pricing is not neutral; it directly influences behaviour, dwell time and destination choice,” the chamber wrote.

The organisation warned that Salisbury’s Sunday economy is driven largely by leisure, tourism and hospitality rather than commuter traffic, adding that removing different Sunday pricing could reduce discretionary visits “at a time when city-centre resilience remains fragile”.