Swindon locals have described the rise in parking costs as ‘another nail in the coffin’ for the town centre.

From April 1, parking costs in Swindon town centre are set to increase by around four to five per cent, with some charges set to increase significantly more.

To put that into context, those parking at Bristol Street car park for just one hour will see a 10p rise in price, whilst those parking for more than six hours will notice a 50p rise.

According to Swindon Borough Council, this will affect all council-run car parks as well as on-street parking.

Since the announcement, hundreds of locals have taken to social media to express their frustration towards the change, which for many marks ‘another nail in the coffin’ for an already dying town centre.

Swindon Advertiser: Residents have described the town centre as 'dying' after the loss of multiple big name stores.Residents have described the town centre as 'dying' after the loss of multiple big name stores. (Image: Newsquest)

“I can still remember when you went to the Brunel car park and would find it difficult to get parked on the shops level. Now it’s difficult to see a car in there,” said Swindon resident Paul Lou-Jorja Scriver.

“When I last went to town half of Brunel didn’t have a shop in it and the town centre is just full of pound shops,” he added.

With parking prices on the rise and the loss of some of Swindon’s favourite shops, Tracey O’Neil is just one of many residents now choosing to shop outside of the town centre.

“It’s really not worth paying to go in. I’ve moved my Specsavers to Sainsbury’s on the A420 now because it’s much more convenient,” she said.

“So many of the shops are in separate locations around Swindon now that it just encourages more driving between locations,” added Gail Fisher, who was a regular visitor to the town.

“I used to like going to Swindon on the train, but now I have to drive if I want to take advantage of the majority of shops because they're not in the town centre.”

Although the full set of new fees and charges will be included in the final budget presented to councillors in February, draft plans show that Market Street and Wood Street will be the worst affected.

“We appreciate nobody likes to see prices go up at our car parks, but due to the tough financial situation we find ourselves in, this is a necessary change," said Councillor Chris Watts, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport.

“The increase in costs will help fund our highways budget and make sure we can improve our road network where possible.

“We will continue to work with local businesses and organisations to find solutions for the town centre.”