Council car parks in Billericay and Wickford went free at weekends in April 2026. One did not. Tariffs, the new Westgate prices, permits and PCN costs.

In April 2026 Basildon Council made its car parks free on Saturdays and Sundays. That was funded in the same budget that froze council tax, and it is a real saving in Billericay and Wickford.

It does not apply everywhere. Wickford Swimming Pool car park charges seven days a week, and its tariff board reads almost identically to the ones a few hundred metres away that are now free. That is the trap on this page.

The second thing worth knowing is that the council now sets the prices in Basildon town centre too, at the Westgate car parks. Its own car parks page has not been updated to say so.

The council’s car parks and what they cost

All six are cashless and ticketless. You pay at a terminal or through the MiPermit app. There is no cash option and meter feeding is not permitted.

Car park Weekday charges Weekends
Billericay High Street (rear of Iceland, CM12 9AT) Mon-Fri 8am-6pm. 1hr £1.20, 2hrs £1.80, 4hrs £3.70 Free, max stay 4 hours, no return within 2 hours
Billericay Radford Crescent (opposite the station, CM12 0DR) Mon-Fri 9.15am-6pm. 4hrs £3.70, all day £8.50 Free
Billericay Lake Meadows (from Radford Crescent, CM12 0DT) Mon-Fri 8am-6pm. 1hr £1.20, 2hrs £1.80, 4hrs £3.70 Free
Wickford Main (High Street to railway, SS12 9AJ) Mon-Fri 8am-6pm. 1hr £1.20, 2hrs £1.80, 4hrs £3.70, all day £8.50 Free
Wickford Ladygate (by the shopping centre, SS12 9AJ) Mon-Fri 8am-6pm. 30min 80p, 1hr £1.20, 2hrs £1.80, 4hrs £3.70 Free, max stay 4 hours, no return within 2 hours
Wickford Swimming Pool (SS12 0AD) Mon-Sun 8am-6pm. 1hr £1.20, 2hrs £1.80, 4hrs £3.70. Max stay 4 hours Charged. Not free

Tariffs from the council’s pay and display page. They match the Schedule of Fees and Charges 2026-27, which records a 5% average rise from 1 April 2026, rounded to the nearest 10p for the machines.

One inconsistency to be aware of: the fees schedule still heads those tariffs “Monday to Sunday”, wording carried over from before the free weekends began. The operational page and the council’s budget statement both describe free weekend parking, so the tariff table above is the one to work from.

Outside the hours shown, the car parks are free. Radford Crescent is the exception, because it is gated and not accessible after 6pm. Lake Meadows also has posted gate times.

Other things the tariff board does not tell you:

  • Motorcycles park free in any marked bay at any of the six
  • Vehicles over 2 tonnes are not allowed, except coaches at Lake Meadows and Wickford Pool
  • Normal terms apply on bank holidays unless the council says otherwise
  • Wat Tyler Country Park charges £1.10 per visit for 2026/27, up from £1.00

Basildon town centre: the Westgate change

The council’s car parks page lists only Billericay and Wickford, and sends Basildon town centre visitors to Parkopedia for private car parks. That is now out of date.

The 2026-27 fees schedule introduces council tariffs at Westgate Multi-Storey and Westgate Surface car parks, both brand new entries with no 2025/26 equivalent. The council owns Westgate Shopping Park, where it has leased two units to Aldi, and has since agreed to buy Eastgate Shopping Centre as well.

Westgate Multi-Storey, from 1 April 2026:

  • Monday to Saturday 6am-6pm: 2 hours £1.55, 4 hours £2.45
  • Monday to Saturday 6am-11pm: all day £3.75
  • Monday to Saturday 6pm-11pm: £1.55 per session
  • Sundays and bank holidays: 75p all day

Westgate Surface, from 1 April 2026:

  • Monday to Saturday 6am-6pm: 2 hours £2.00
  • Monday to Saturday 6pm-midnight: £2.00 per session
  • Monday to Saturday midnight-6am: £2.00 per session
  • Sundays and bank holidays: 75p all day

At £3.75 for a full day, the multi-storey is well under half what an all-day space costs in Wickford or at Radford Crescent. Disabled bays at Westgate were temporarily relocated during the Aldi works, which began on 1 June 2026.

The rest of Basildon town centre, including the Great Oaks multi-storey, is privately managed and the council publishes no prices for it.

Season tickets, and the waiting list

Season tickets are administered by Chelmsford City Council, not Basildon. Prices for 2026/27, up 5% on last year:

Resident Non-resident
Billericay High Street / Radford Crescent £115.40 monthly, £322.40 quarterly, £608.00 half year, £1,163.90 a year £142.00 monthly, £381.30 quarterly, £733.10 half year, £1,407.00 a year
Wickford Main £53.80 monthly, £149.70 quarterly, £282.10 half year, £540.20 a year £66.10 monthly, £177.10 quarterly, £340.20 half year, £653.10 a year

Two things a commuter needs before working out a budget:

  • Radford Crescent is oversubscribed and closed to new applications. It is the car park opposite Billericay station, so it is the one people want.
  • There are no new season tickets for Billericay High Street either.

That leaves Wickford Main as the only borough season ticket currently open. The fees schedule also carries a new Westgate Multi-Storey permit at £53.71 monthly and £540.17 a year. The council’s season tickets page does not list it.

A replacement permit costs £14.50. Non-residents are anyone living outside the borough, and they cannot apply using a Basildon employer’s address. Wickford season tickets are not valid at Ladygate.

On-street parking and resident permits

On-street enforcement and residents’ parking schemes are not run by Basildon Council. They belong to the South Essex Parking Partnership, with Chelmsford City Council as lead authority for Basildon, Brentwood, Castle Point, Chelmsford, Maldon and Rochford. Resident permits, visitor tickets and season tickets all go through the MiPermit portal.

If you have had a ticket, which body issued it decides who you appeal to, so check the back of the notice before paying.

Blue badge parking

Blue badge holders park free for up to 3 hours in every council car park, with no return within 2 hours. You must display a valid badge and a clock.

Badges themselves are issued by Essex County Council, not the borough, including applications, renewals, replacements and independent mobility assessments.

Penalty charges

Off-street penalty charge notices are unchanged for 2026/27, because the levels are set by central government:

  • Upper tier: £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days
  • Lower tier: £50, reduced to £25 if paid within 14 days

Failing to buy a parking session is a contravention. So is staying past the expiry time, in a car park where every session is now digital and timed.

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