City Council set to cut parking charges
Tuesday, October 11th, 2016 6:00amCar parking charges are set to be cut in Stoke-on-Trent to encourage more people to shop and visit.
A £1 charge is set to be brought in after 3pm at 28 City Council car parks from November 21st for a 12 month trial.
The authority says its acting after feedback from residents and businesses, and is aiming to attract more shoppers to town centres.
The flat rate, which does not include multi-storey car parks, covers 28 car parks in Hanley, Stoke, Fenton, Longton, Burslem, Tunstall and Meir. It will also cover on-street parking spaces across the city, with the exception of Hanley, to keep congestion to a minimum.
Other proposals included in a report which will go before the council’s cabinet next week for approval include introducing a heavily discounted overnight parking permit, between 5pm and 10am the next day, on a range of surface level car parks in areas where on-street residential parking is in high demand; and introduce a discounted evening parking upgrade option (£50 a year) for customers who have, or buy, a daytime permit.
Councillor Jack Brereton, cabinet member for regeneration and transport, said: “It is a top priority to support our town centres and local businesses and by reducing parking charges we hope to encourage more people to shop and visit locally. Residents often mention the importance of affordable parking and we have done an extensive review about how we can improve the flexibility of charges.
“Paying £1 to park after 3pm should encourage more regular visitors to enjoy the fantastic shopping and leisure facilities on offer, particularly in the afternoon and evening. Affordable parking is key to boosting footfall – helping our local economy and businesses to grow.
“We have also looked at our parking permits and are planning to make some changes which will help to reduce congestion in residential areas where there is a lot of on-street parking, and also encourage people to stay in the city for longer instead of perhaps going straight home when they finish work.”
http://www.signal1.co.uk/news/local/city-council-set-to-cut-parking-charges/
