Hellesdon's county councillor put the park and ride idea in writing on 11 August. Overnight parking there is still banned, and no traffic order is advertised.
Norfolk County Council is looking at whether the Airport Park and Ride could be used to stop holidaymakers leaving their cars on residential streets near Norwich Airport.
The idea did not start this week. It was put in writing to Hellesdon Parish Council on 11 August, almost six weeks before it was reported. The minutes of that meeting carry the written report of Cllr Nick Taylor, the county councillor for the Hellesdon division.
“Holiday makers parking in residential streets in Hellesdon near the Airport continues to be a problem,” his report says. He names two roads he has been out to look at, Heath Crescent and Middletons Lane, and says he will have Highways carry out mitigation works.
Then comes the passage now at the centre of the story:
We do need a longer-term solution to alleviate this problem. Whilst we should all want the airport to thrive and contribute to the local economy; the parking issues cannot keep impacting local residents in Hellesdon. I have asked my cabinet colleague, Kabeer Kher, who sits on the Airport Consultative Committee to take the issue up with the airport management. I have also put forward the idea that we could somehow use the council’s underutilised park and ride site as part of a longer-term solution.
Both roads are in Hellesdon, in the Broadland district, rather than inside the city boundary. The airport terminal is about three miles north of the city centre, and Heath Crescent sits off Cromer Road roughly 500 metres from it in a straight line.
Three rules stand in the way
The Airport Park and Ride sits roughly 400 metres west of the terminal, on the far side of Amsterdam Way. It is addressed at Buck Courtney Crescent, NR6 6JT, and holds 620 spaces, including 24 disabled bays and four EV charging points, according to First Bus, which runs the site and the PR1 service.
A traveller cannot use it for a holiday today, and the operator’s own page says why:
- “Overnight parking is not permitted at Airport Park and Ride.”
- “No, overnight parking is not permitted, so vehicles cannot be left on site for consecutive days.”
- “Customers may not park without using the Park & Ride service or displaying a valid permit.”
Those are the three sentences any longer-term solution would have to change. The permit clause is the one to watch. It already makes room for parking that is not tied to a bus journey, which is the shape any airport arrangement would need to take.
The site is also built around a commuter timetable rather than a flight schedule. The first bus leaves at 05:55 on weekdays, 07:30 on Saturdays and 08:15 on Sundays and public holidays. The last bus back from Castle Meadow leaves at 20:14 on weekdays and Saturdays, and 17:47 on Sundays and public holidays. A day ticket is £3 for an adult and £2 for under-20s and concessions.
What the airport charges
The reason people park elsewhere is on the airport’s own tariff page. These are the turn-up-and-park prices, not the cheaper pre-booked rates.
Car Park 2 (Long Stay), the one a holidaymaker would use:
| Stay | Price |
|---|---|
| Up to 4 hours | £10.00 |
| 4 to 24 hours, or 1 day | £35.00 |
| 2 days | £50.00 |
| 3 days | £75.00 |
| 4 days | £105.00 |
| 5 days | £135.00 |
| Each additional 24 hours, or part of one | £30.00 |
Car Park 1 (Short Stay), in front of the terminal:
| Stay | Price |
|---|---|
| Up to 20 minutes | £8.00 |
| 20 to 60 minutes | £15.00 |
| 1 to 4 hours | £20.00 |
| 4 to 12 hours | £30.00 |
| 12 to 24 hours | £50.00 |
| Each additional 24 hours, or part of one | £50.00 |
Dropping someone off costs £8 for up to 20 minutes in Car Park 1. The airport also warns that stopping or waiting on its approach roads and roundabouts is prohibited and enforced by a private company, Vehicle Control Services. On airport land there is somewhere to send a penalty notice. On a Hellesdon side street there is not.
The airport’s own committee raised it in July
The airport’s own consultative committee had logged it a fortnight earlier. The Airport Consultative Committee met at Norwich Airport on 22 July. Cllr Shelagh Gurney, who was reappointed as its chair at that meeting, reported back to Hellesdon Parish Council on 11 August.
The minute records that airport traffic had increased by 7 per cent, with new destinations added to the schedule, and that “Drop off and Pick up charges have created issues in nearby roads and locations, as had long term parking to avoid parking fees”.
On 24 August the parish council published its own fly-parking page. It asks residents to report problems so it can collate the data and take it to Norfolk County Council and airport management.
Nothing has been advertised yet
By the September meeting the work had moved on a step, but not a large one. The minutes of 8 September record that Cllr Taylor had met an officer from Norfolk Highways “to find ways of mitigating parking issues in Heath Crescent and Middletons Lane caused by the airport parking problem”.
Mitigation on a public road means a traffic regulation order, and an order has to be advertised before it can be made. We checked the county council’s consultation register on 22 September. It listed 17 open consultations and traffic orders across Norfolk, including proposals at Easton, Horsford, Downham Market and Heartsease Lane in Norwich.
None of them covers Heath Crescent or Middletons Lane. No waiting restriction has been proposed for either road, so nothing can be enforced on them yet.
What it means for you
- You still cannot leave a car at the Airport Park and Ride while you fly. Overnight parking is banned, vehicles cannot stay for consecutive days, and none of that has changed.
- No parking restriction has been proposed for Heath Crescent or Middletons Lane. An order has to be advertised before it can be made, and nothing has been advertised. Yellow lines on either road are not imminent.
- If a vehicle is blocking your driveway, the parish council’s advice is to call Norfolk Police on 101, not the county council.
- To log a fly-parking problem, Hellesdon Parish Council asks residents to email clerk@hellesdon-pc.gov.uk or call 01603 301751 between 9.30am and 4pm on weekdays. It is collecting the reports as evidence.
- Highways faults are reported to the county council directly, which is the route Cllr Taylor points residents to in his report.
The park and ride is close enough to the terminal to walk, and the PR1 runs into the city in as little as 14 minutes, up to every 14 minutes, seven days a week. That makes it useful for meeting an arrival. It will not store your car while you are away.
We will update this page when a traffic order is advertised or the county council publishes a decision on the park and ride site.
Frequently asked questions
Can I leave my car at the Airport Park and Ride while I fly?
No. First Bus, which runs the site, says overnight parking is not permitted and vehicles cannot be left on site for consecutive days.
Which roads are affected by airport fly-parking?
The county councillor for Hellesdon named Heath Crescent and Middletons Lane in his reports to Hellesdon Parish Council in August and September 2026. Both are in Hellesdon, in the Broadland district.
Are yellow lines being put down on those roads?
Not yet. No traffic regulation order covering either road had been advertised on the county council’s consultation register as of 22 September 2026.
How much does Norwich Airport parking cost?
Turning up without booking, Car Park 2 (Long Stay) costs £35 for one day and £135 for five days. Dropping someone off costs £8 for up to 20 minutes in Car Park 1.
Who do I report fly-parking to?
Hellesdon Parish Council is collecting reports at clerk@hellesdon-pc.gov.uk or 01603 301751. If a vehicle is blocking your driveway, it advises calling Norfolk Police on 101.
Sources
- Hellesdon Parish Council, Full Council minutes, 11 August 2026 (county councillor’s report and Airport Consultative Committee report)
- Hellesdon Parish Council, Full Council minutes, 8 September 2026
- Hellesdon Parish Council, Fly Parking around Norwich Airport, 24 August 2026
- First Bus, Airport Park & Ride
- Norwich Airport, Car Parking
- Norfolk County Council, consultation register, read 22 September 2026
More Norwich parking and travel information: Parking in Norwich, Norwich roadworks and travel and Norwich planning news.
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