East Suffolk Council

Parking places

The council provides many off-street parking places across the district, so those choosing to drive may park appropriately once at their destination. Parking places are provided in rural and coastal locations as well as towns, so visitors arriving by car can access Suffolk’s beautiful countryside and coastline, and all the retail, leisure and services provided by its towns.

The RingGo app allows drivers to locate a parking place before starting their journey, receive navigation to it, pay for their parking session and even extend it should they need to. Find out more about registering and using the service on the RingGo how it works page.

RingGo are under no obligation to provide a refund or cancel parking actions submitted to our parking systems, unless there is a system error on our part. Upon registration we will immediately perform our services by providing you access to our parking payment systems and related services as expressly requested by you. Therefore, you acknowledge that we immediately begin such performance and acknowledge that you will not have a right to withdraw from your agreement with us.

East Suffolk Council are also under no obligation to provide a refund. However, in extenuating circumstances, the council will decide at their own discretion whether a refund should be granted. If you believe this applies to you, then please contact us. Before making an enquiry, please consider RingGo’s refund policy and take into consideration that the onus is upon the driver to ensure they have read all parking information and have entered the correct details when purchasing parking time.

Organisations that provide parking for their staff and visitors might find RingGo’s corporate service of interest. Find out more on the RingGo corporate how it works page. This service replaces the many special arrangements previously in place via agreements of different types.

Many of the parking places have public toilets in or adjacent to them, and some have small glass and textile recycling points.

Local authority off-street parking places are managed under relevant sections of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and in East Suffolk, patrolled and enforced where necessary via Civil Parking Enforcement powers provided by Statutory Instrument 2020 No. 14 - The Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions Designation Order 2020.

The rules and regulations for the council’s off-street parking places are provided by the Off-street Parking Places Order 2020 and the East Suffolk Council (Off-Street Parking Places) (Amendment No. 1) Order 2021.

Further information on the development of ticket options and fee structure:

• Cabinet report - 2 March 2021 - Item 6, Parking services: Recommendations from Scrutiny Committee
• Scrutiny Committee report - 16 November 2020 - Item 3, Review of parking management and civil parking enforcement
• Cabinet report - 4 February 2020 - Item 7, Parking services: Parking management and civil parking enforcement
• Off-street Parking Places Order 2020: Consultation results briefing note

Supporting the retail and business community

It is often said that free parking is required to support local businesses, however, this is a common misconception and East Suffolk Means Business provides information and services that support local businesses. Car parking is just one component of travel planning that relates only to travel by car.

Our Economic Development and Regeneration team commissioned People & Places to understand the trends and travel for individual town centres in East Suffolk. The surveys revealed not everyone visiting town centres travels to them by car, and many walk, cycle or use public transport. Transport professionals speak of mobility, and car travel is one part of a mobility system that includes all modes of travel e.g. walking, cycling, bus, train and car.