Wolverhampton Council introduces free car parking after 5pm for the rest of the year
Wolverhampton Council has announced it will be introducing free parking after 5pm until the end of this year.
The announcement comes just weeks after a leading Wolverhampton businessman warned that parking fees were 'killing the city'.
Now Councillor Chris Burden, cabinet member for regeneration, has said that effective immediately there would be free parking at the city's Broad Street car park.
The car park will be free to use until 5am over the autumn and Christmas period, with an overnight flat rate of £2 to be introduced from January 5, which Councillor Burden said was still a big reduction on existing rates.
The moves comes after a report in the Express & Star, where businessman Shaun Keasey said takings at his Royal London bar in Wulfruna Street had fallen by 30-40 per cent since new parking charges were introduced in November last year.
Mr Keasey, chairman of Wolverhampton Pub Watch, said the long-stay car park in Broad Street, which saw the charge for more than four hours' parking double from £4.50 to £9, had been left deserted.
When the rises were announced, Wolverhampton Council said they were necessary to plug a £33 million deficit, but Mr Keasey questioned whether the council was actually making any money out of the increase, given the drop in people visiting the town.
Councillor Burden acknowledged the hospitality industry had been hit hard in recent years due to rising costs, a squeeze on household incomes and changing customer behaviour.
He said that by offering free evening parking initially, and transitioning to a reduced flat rate, the scheme aimed to contribute towards a growing, more vibrant and welcoming city centre after dark to stimulate the night-time economy. It would also provide valuable insights to inform the development of a long-term car parking strategy, he added.
Councillor Burden said: “We engaged with businesses, workers and residents, and I hope local people take up this offer and come and support our fantastic night-time businesses..
"The initiative has been directly informed by feedback from public consultation. It will help drive footfall during what is a challenging time and critical trading period for the hospitality sector.”
The council also confirmed a wider car parking strategy is set to be developed which will include a review of all car park uses and charges across the city centre.
