Parking costs are set to go up in move that has attracted fierce criticism
The Liverpool city centre parking changes have caused a big debate(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
Increased parking charges in Liverpool city centre are a “tax on retail and catering employment” and should be looked at again according to a veteran opposition leader. Earlier this month, as part of an annual review of fees and charges, Liverpool Council confirmed it would put up the price of a city centre parking space by an average of 11%.
Members of the council’s cabinet signed off on a proposal to increase the price of a 30 minute stay from £2 to £2.30, with an hour going up to £4.40 from £4. A two-hour bay will increase from £6 to £6.50.
The local authority said the prices remained competitive with other core cities like Manchester and Birmingham. However, Steve Radford, leader of the Liberal Party group has instigated a call-in of the decision, warning it could push people away from the city centre.
It was confirmed last year that after a lengthy delay, free parking after 6pm would come to an end, meaning all on-street spaces within the city centre controlled parking zone (CPZ) would have charges applied until 11pm. After consultation with businesses, the local authority’s cabinet has also confirmed the length of stay for any space will increase to five hours after 6pm.
This charge will rise from £10 to £10.60 from April 1. Council owned car parks, including at Mount Pleasant, Victoria Street, the M&S Bank Arena and Paddington Village are also expected to go up by an average of more than 8%.
Calling for the decision to be reconsidered, Cllr Radford said he felt the measure had been “totally flawed.” He said: “Noting that parking charges have not been imposed on retail shopping facilities like Speke, St Helens, Cheshire Oaks or the Trafford Centre.
“That the increase does not reflect the cost pressures on increased National Insurance on employers and the financial duress in retail trades. Therefore we request the council not to approve the increase in parking charges and carry out extensive research on the impact on retail and restaurant trade increases would have.”
Speaking as the decision to increase charges was taken last week, Cllr Nick Small, cabinet member for growth and economy, said it would help bring more money into the city with people able to stay longer during the evening, describing it as a “win-win.” He added: “We still need to bring this (parking charges) in line with core cities’ average and ensure they remain competitive.”
According to the council’s analysis, forecasts suggest an under-recovery of total parking and enforcement income against a budget of more than £4m. This includes almost £2.8m in unrecovered pay and display income.
Cllr Radford described the fee rise as “a tax on retail and catering employment, putting the city centre at risk of being priced out.” In an email seen by the LDRS, Liverpool Council officers have confirmed the threshold had been met for a special committee session to be held to debate the charges.
A date is yet to be set for the meeting, which could result in cabinet members being asked to reconsider their price increase measures.
