Derby: Markeaston Park car parking and play activity costs to rise - but gym memberships to be frozen

Derby City Council officers have approved plans to increase charges at between three and five per cent as part of its annual review on fees and charges across a range of its services at its parks.

Markeaton Park is one of Derby’s biggest and most visited leisure spaces. Current car parking charges at the site are: £1.80 (up to one hour), £2.80 (up to two hours), £4.40 (up to four hours) and £5.50 (over four hours).

But new prices have been approved meaning visitors will be charged some extra pennies. The new costs are £1.90 (up to one hour), £2.90 (up to two hours), £4.60 (up to four hours) and £5.70 (over four hours). The prices come into effect from April 1, 2025.

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There are also price increases to play and leisure activities at the Mundy Play Centre within the park. These include canoe rides, bouncy castle, children’s car rides and mini golf (both nine and eighteen hole courses). 

There is a freeze on the charge of tennis courts per hour at £8.50. But pitch and putt golf over 18 holes per person at the park will increase too.

A council report about its park fees said: “The climate and environment service annually reviews its fees and charges across a range of services. This is to ensure that the fees and charges where applicable reflect the cost of delivering services, considering comparator rates for these services in the sector, ensure that inflationary cost increases are taken into account and to enable budget income targets to be achieved.

“The general approach in most cases has been to consider an inflationary increase of between 3% and 5% on the fees and charges for the activities although there are variations from this for some activities.“

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The council report added there are options to reduce or increase the inflationary increase. It reads: “However the pricing structure and charges proposals have been developed to provide value for money to Derby residents and an attractive offer to people living outside the city.” 

There is good news for people who go to Derby City Council-owned gyms. Derby Active is freezing its health and fitness membership prices at both Derby Arena and Springwood Leisure Centre. 

Another report into leisure service costs says: “Should Derby Active increase its price it is likely to see a reduction in membership numbers as customers move to a same membership package at a lower rate. By retaining our membership prices at the current price point, also ensures Derby Active is supportive of local residents at a time, where household finances are stretched, with gym memberships, for example being vulnerable to cancel or find a lower priced alternative.”