This report proposes a package of updates to the Council’s off-street parking tariffs to modernise and simplify the structure, improve consistency, support town centre activity, and ensure charges remain aligned with wider transport, environmental and public health objectives.

The Committee considered a report that proposed a package of updates to the Council’s off?street parking tariffs to modernise and simplify the structure, improve consistency, support towncentre activity, and ensure charges remained aligned with wider transport, environmental and public health objectives. The revisions followed a detailed review of usage data, benchmarking activity, and site?specific considerations.  The following documents were attached to the report:

·         Appendix 1 Proposed changes to main Town Centre car parks

·         Appendix 2 Proposed changes to other car parks

·         Appendix 3 Proposed increase in parking tariffs

·         Appendix 4 Equality Impact Assessment

The report explained that the proposals aimed to simplify the tariff structure, align pricing with demand and inflation, support town?centre vitality, encourage sustainable travel, and ensure consistency across the Council’s car park portfolio.

Key elements included:

·         Standardising tariffs across the Council’s three main town centre multi-storey car parks (Queens Road, Broad Street Mall, Civic B), including applying the same tariff throughout the week.

·         Increasing the minimum stay from 1 hour to 2 hours at the multi?storey sites to support longer dwell times and economic activity.

·         Reducing charges at Green Park car park to address persistent under?utilisation and better align with comparable locations.

·         Increasing off?street parking tariffs by 5%, rounded to the nearest 10p.

The report explained that the combined effect of these changes was projected to generate £244k in additional income for 2026/27. Any resulting surplus, in line with Section 55 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, would be reinvested into transport and highway?related improvements.

Resolved –

(1)          That the alignment of weekend tariffs with weekday tariffs at Queens Road, Broad Street Mall, and Civic B car parks as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, be authorised;

(2)          That an increase to the first?hour tariff at Queens Road, Broad Street Mall, and Civic B to match the second?hour charge, as set out in Appendix 1, be authorised;

(3)          That a reduction in tariffs at Green Park to align with comparable car parks and address under?utilisation as set out in Appendix 2, be approved;

(4)          That increases to off?street parking fees as set out in Appendix 3, rounded to the nearest 10p be approved;

(5)          That the Director of Environmental and Commercial Services be authorised to publish a Notice of Variation under Section 35c of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to bring the changes into effect.