The AA has warned that steep seaside parking charges — in some cases up to £30 for a day — are pushing tourists away from Britain's coastal towns during summer, effectively cancelling out the savings families are meant to get from the Government's Great British Summer Savings scheme. The motoring organisation says the fees risk damaging local economies that rely on summer visitor spending, with a significant share of drivers saying they would simply leave or refuse to return rather than pay.

Research based on over 10,500 AA members found a third of drivers would abandon a resort or vow never to return if faced with £20-£30 parking charges, though only 1% said they would resort to illegal parking instead. Examples cited include Camber Sands (£30 for over six hours), Brighton's Black Rock and King Alfred car parks (£18), and hourly rates in Whitstable (up to £3.80) and Herne Bay (up to £2.70). Bournemouth has also introduced peak-season fines of £110-£160 in August, more than double its usual rate, which the AA says have been applied too broadly to minor offences; by contrast, many coastal car parks in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland remain free.