Drivers have been warned of new parking measures which could see prices increase by as much as 60 per cent across a popular city.
It follows an announcement by Liverpool City Council which is preparing to introduce a new car parking strategy for the first time in more than 10 years.
The new strategy hopes to act as a deterrent for driving in the city and instead encourage the use of public transport. It also introduces new tighter enforcement to crackdown on illegal and dangerous parking.
The significant price hikes could come in as early as March 2025 and would impact roughly 28 per cent of car parks across Liverpool.
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On-street parking bays will see parking charges increase by 57.36 per cent
LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL
Under the new proposals, multi-storey car parks will see an average increase of 39.69 per cent while off-street car parks face a steeper rise of 47.28 per cent. The highest increase will hit on-street parking bays, with prices jumping by 57.36 per cent.
However some exceptions apply, with Paddington Village multi-storey car park maintaining frozen fees for the first three hours due to its proximity to the Royal Liverpool Hospital.
Mount Pleasant and Victoria Street car parks will introduce simplified tariffs for three or five-hour stays, while Victoria Street will offer an extended option of parking prices between nine and 24 hours.
The changes come after figures revealed that Liverpool currently generates the lowest net income from parking services among Core Cities.
The council’s parking revenue stands at £3.839million for 2023/24, significantly below the Core Cities average of £10.603m.
This disparity is reflected in the city’s overall income from fees and charges, with the council revealing that it only generates £98.96 per person compared with the Core Cities average of £146.06 per head.
Councillor Dan Barrington said: “This is only the second increase in parking fees in over 10 years, and as a result we are now far below other cities.
“Even when the rise is taken into account, Liverpool will remain competitive compared to other large cities.”
He added: “Over the last few months we have widened the number of apps that people can use to pay for parking and are also investing in new parking measures around the new Bramley Moore Dock stadium.”
But the council did note it will maintain competitive rates compared to private operators, who control over two-thirds of city parking spaces.
The changes extend beyond parking, with the cabinet considering a minimum five per cent increase in discretionary fees and charges, projected to raise £6.1m annually.
Specific increases include a 30 per cent rise in scaffolding and hoarding fees, while skip hire licences will double to £40.
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Councillor Liam Robinson stated: “These are challenging times for all councils, particularly in dealing with inflationary pressures plus unprecedented demand for social care and homelessness.
“Fees and charges are essential to balancing our books and making a contribution to our overall budget.
“We are playing catch-up with other areas who have been regularly reviewing their charges, whereas we have not done so, and we cannot allow this situation to continue.”
