Dangerous and anti-social car parking will be targeted on the streets of Liverpool City Centre thanks to a new parking regime.
Liverpool City Council will implement significant changes to its City Centre Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) to address growing parking demands, improve road safety, and enhance air quality.
These proposals, approved by Liverpool City Council’s Highways and Spaces Representation Committee, aim to ensure the CPZ remains fit for purpose in light of the city’s evolving residential population and thriving night-time economy.
There has been growing concerns from residents about reckless and inconsiderate parking in the city centre. This has been further highlighted recently with inconsiderate parking on Victoria Street, which has been occurring outside of existing operational hours.
The CPZ changes will enable the Council to undertake robust enforcement over a longer time period.
The changes that will be implemented will see the CPZ operational hours extended from 8am–6pm to 7am–11pm, Monday to Sunday. They will come into effect from the beginning of June.
This change will increase enforcement on single yellow lines and parking bays, including pay-and-display and resident bays.
The approval by the committee includes the provision that there will be a review in 12months’ time and an extra focus on safety in car parks.
Other significant changes include:
- Increased Maximum Stay in Hope Street Area: Pay-and-display bays on Hope Street, Blackburne Place, Falkner Street, Maryland Street, and Caledonia Street will have their maximum stay increased from 2 hours to 4 hours, with no return within 1 hour. This adjustment supports the area’s growing night-time economy and hospitality sector.
- Shared Use Parking Bays: Certain loading and limited waiting bays will be converted to pay-and-display, resident, or disabled bays during evening hours.
- Revised Parking Tariffs: Parking charges will increase to align with other major UK cities, encouraging sustainable travel and reducing congestion.
Extensive public consultations were conducted, including informal and statutory consultations.
While some concerns were raised, the Council has adjusted the proposals to address feedback, particularly from local businesses. These include increasing the maximum stay in the Hope Street area to four hours and introducing shared-use bays after 6pm for disabled, resident, pay and display or single yellow lines, at a number of locations.
The recent increase in parking charges saw Liverpool’s fees come into line with other similar sized cities, and is only the second rise in over a decade.
The Council currently generates the lowest net income from parking services amongst the Core Cities, achieving £3.839m in 2023/24 compared to a Core City’s average of £10.603m.
The Council controls just 28% of parking across the City, and, up till recently has on average charged 47% less than private sector car parks and other Core Cities for equivalent parking provision.
The changes to the city centre’s controlled parking zone is needed as Liverpool has undergone substantial growth in recent years, including new developments, pedestrianised areas, and an expanding residential population.
The rise of the night-time economy has placed significant pressure on parking availability, leading to congestion, illegal parking, and reduced access for residents and businesses. The proposed changes aim to reduce congestion and improve road safety. They will also enhance air quality and promote sustainable travel, while ensuring better turnover of parking spaces for residents, businesses, and visitors.
