New overnight parking charges could be restricted to multi-storeys
New overnight charges at council-owned car parks in Gloucester could be restricted to multi-storeys with other sites remaining free to park at night.
City chiefs are conducting a review of parking and they want to introduce the overnight charges to improve the multi-storey car parks such as Eastgate and Kingswalk.
They say the cost of running the Gloucester City Council car parks is rising faster than the income.
And a flat rate similar to the £2.10 charge from 6pm to 7am at Southgate Moorings could be introduced elsewhere in the city centre.
Deputy Leader Declan Wilson (LD, Hucclecote) told the overview and scrutiny committee they plan to consolidate and modernise the parking orders, install electric vehicle charge points and introduce evening charges to make the car parks “more hospitable and safer”.
“There is increasing antisocial behavior and we need to look forward to regeneration demand and things like electric vehicle transition,” he said.
Cllr Wilson also said they could potentially provide residential parking permits that align with those issued by the County Council.
Labour Councillor Tree Chambers-Dubus (Moreland) said she thought it was a great idea to open up the multi-storey car parks and night and “make them far nicer”.
But she suggested the overnight charges should only be introduced at those specific sites.
“Maybe it would be sensible to only levy the evening charge on those multi-storeys,” she said.
“That’s not going to prevent people who are local who use the little car parks which are ground level car parks.
“But it would mean there is somewhere nice for people to park who have maybe come a little further and are perhaps visiting the Guildhall or somewhere like that and don’t know Gloucester and don’t want to walk a long way.
“That might be a way of hitting both targets.”
Cllr Wilson said he would be happy to look into that as a recommendation.
“One reason for coming to Gloucester is that our car parking is cheaper,” he said.
He said the council’s car parks would still be cheaper than the privately-owned ones including Gloucester Quays.
Councillor Liam Harris (LD, Quedgeley Severn Vale) said a lot of people park near the takeaways and vape shops on the road in Southgate Street.
And he asked if a free grace period could be given to help ease this problem for people to park and allow people to “pop into town for free”.
Cllr Wilson said he was open to the idea and they would build in a 20 minute grace period.
He told the meeting the council is trying to think ahead with the Forum opening.
“With Kings Square being regenerated we are hoping to bring more people in there which is why I’ve been wanting car parking in that side of the city as well,” he said.
“It’s simply a question of our income not matching our cost at the moment and we have to.”