A rise in the parking charges at a Swindon beauty spot of more than 100 per cent has not gone down well.

From the start of the month, it now costs £2.40 to park for up to two hours at Coate Water - a 140 per cent increase on the £1 it was on March 31.

It now costs £4.40 to park for up to 24 hours, a 120 per cent increase.

And the news hasn’t been received well by many people in Swindon.

Responding on the Swindon Advertiser’s Facebook page, Rita Mason wrote: “Guess we won't be going anymore...I love going there.”

Duncan Adams said: “Absolute joke, you might as well drive to Cirencester Park as its cheaper and nicer.”

Duncan Ince said: “How ridiculously small minded. We need to get people, families out and about. Enjoy the countryside. Get some fresh air and exercise”

Meanwhile Berni Morton struck an ironic note: “Got to pay for the new play area somehow. 

“Families will stop visiting, as on a good summers day you want to stay all day with a picnic, with kids.”

Andrea Frost echoed concerns about restricting access to fresh air: “Well done Swindon council for charging people to park. You should encourage parents to take their children out for fresh air and exercise, not charge hard up families.”

Denise Price at least hoped the money would be put to good use: "Hopefully they will do the car park then so it's easier to park, cause at the moment that horrible stoney mess with no lines is terrible.”

But some people were still happy with the level of charges. Andrew Holbrook wrote: “It's called upkeep....do you all think the grass cutting, cleaning etc comes free?”

Sarah Ingram said: “We took our grandchildren there at Easter and it was fabulous.

“It was really clean and tidy and the new play area was superb. When walking round the lake we noticed all the work going on to maintain it. To be honest I think it’s necessary to charge for parking so that it is kept well maintained.”

For regular users Hannah Ellis had a practical solution: “If you go there that often then why don't people get the yearly pass? This hasn't increased from £30. For the people that go there "all the time" and "nearly every other day" - get the yearly pass... it's not gone up.”

Swindon Advertiser:

Swindon Borough Council’s cabinet member for organisational excellence Dale Heenan said: “In February, both political parties supported increasing Coate Water car parking charges to bring them in line with Lydiard Park."

And the cabinet member for leisure Matty Courtliff added: “We have continued to invest in our parks over the last 12 months with the new flagship accessible play park and restoration of the Grade II-listed diving board at Coate Water, a full renovation of the hotel and conference centre at Lydiard Park and the installation of a Covid memorial sculpture, along with holding regular events for families throughout the year.

"At Coate, we have further plans to replace the Splash Park using a £250,000 budget; expand the catering offer that visitors have demanded, install a sculpture in the remembrance garden, add a barbeque and improve accessibility and footpaths, whilst the play parks at Lydiard will see further equipment added, renewal of the play surfaces and expansion of the tea rooms in the Coach House.

"As well as the investment that takes place, the ranger and parks team is responsible for the day-to-day maintenance required for a combined 330 acres of country parks at Coate and Lydiard, and with costs rising, we have to increase the parking charges to keep the parks operations sustainable, so that residents can continue to enjoy them for years to come."