Liverpool motorists could soon be in-pocket, under new plans to cut the cost of city centre parking.
Proposals are being put forward by the city council to reduce the cost of parking at city centre pay-and-display bays by 10 per cent, with an even bigger reduction at Mount Pleasant car park.
Consultation is also beginning over increasing the maximum time vehicles can park at pay and display bays in the city centre from two hours to four.
If given the go-ahead, the city council will bring the proposed changes into effect in November of this year. The reductions would bring the cost of parking at city centre pay-and-display bays in-line with where it stood in 2008.
Under the proposals, the cost for parking for 30 minutes at a city centre pay-and-display bay will fall from £1.10 to £1; up to one hour will be cut from £2.20 to £2; up to one hour and 30 minutes will be reduced from £3.30 to £3; and up to two hours will fall from £4.40 to £4. There will be a capped cost of £5 for parking for between two and four hours.
Costs will fall even more sharply at Mount Pleasant car park. Parking for up to one hour will cost £1, down from £1.30; up to two hours will be £2, down from £2.60; up to three hours will fall to £3 from £3.90; and over three hours will be reduced to £4 from £5.20.
The maximum motorists would pay at Mount Pleasant is £4, meaning that motorists would be able to park all day in the city centre, at one of Mount Pleasant’s 1,850 spaces, for just £4, set against the current all-day cost of £7.
People parking in car parks in the London Road area would also benefit from a 10 per cent reduction in charges (£1 for up to one hour, reduced from £1.10) with the maximum they will pay capped at £3.50 (for over three hours), a reduction from the current maximum of £5.
Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said: “These proposed changes will bring real benefits for city centre motorists as well as giving a boost to businesses.
“The plans aim to attract more people into the city centre by achieving two things – making parking less punishing on people’s pockets, and giving them more time to shop, eat, do business and visit attractions – without worrying about getting a parking ticket.”
The proposed changes aim to promote the use of the city centre’s parking bays by making them more affordable and convenient for shoppers and visitors. It forms part of a major, city-wide review into the city’s parking policy, with further proposed changes to be announced shortly.
Liverpool City council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and Climate Change, Councillor Tim Moore, said: “We think motorists will really welcome these proposals, which will see the cost of parking at city centre pay-and-display bays reduced for the first time in many years. And I’m sure increasing maximum parking times will also prove popular with visitors, shoppers and businesses.
“This is an important part of our wider review into how parking operates in this city, and we’ll be consulting on a range of further changes in the coming months which will help us deliver a system which is fairer, better run and more efficient.”
People can visit www.liverpool.gov.uk/parkingconsultation to find out more about the proposals and see which city pay-and-display bays are affected by the proposed changes. They can then leave feedback specifically about the plans to increase maximum parking times at pay-and-display bays by e-mailing parking.services@liverpool.gov.uk; calling Liverpool Direct on 0151 233 3011; or writing to Liverpool City Council Parking Services, c/o PO Box 981, Municipal Buildings, Dale Street L69 1JB.
The consultation period over the proposals ends on 21 September 2012.
