Is this really an answer to Nottingham’s parking issues?

Nottingham showing cars where to go……

Nottingham is famous for a number of things – most of them great – Robin Hood, Boots, Nottingham Forest, it’s Universities, you get the idea. Unfortunately it is also known as one of the most expensive UK cities to park in. This is not a good record to hold and something that our City Council have not really dealt with in a good way in recent years. In fact the recent extension of paid parking into the evenings was a definite ‘shot in the foot’ which has been universally decried by the local businesses.

On the positive side (yes there is one) I believe that the meter parking has worked well, this on street parking is ideal for short-term visits into the town for shopping or business. I can invariably find a space and then pay for it via the Ringo app on my iPhone (recommended – give it a try).

No, the major issue has always been the cost of longer term parking in the car parks – it is just too expensive and is driving people away (pardon the pun). So the latest announcement from the City Council has left me stunned! The official statement is as follows;

“The new pricing structure sees charges based around a simple £1 fee to give drivers the choice of where they park based on how much they want to pay.  The £1 charge will cover 30 minutes parking in the heart of the city during the 8am to 6pm peak time hours.  Off-peak the £1 charge will cover 2 hours in the centre of the city – Zone One – whilst outside this zone drivers will be able to park all day for a flat £1 fee.

Peak time parking is from 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday with off-peak parking every evening from 6pm to 8pm Monday to Saturday and all day Sunday. On-street parking is free between 8pm and 8am.”

So the proposal is to change the charging and time limits on meters – as far as I can find no change is planned for the car park charges – they will remain stupidly high. No, the plan is to allow people to park as long as they wish on meters in £1 thirty minute time slots. That is actually more expensive than it is currently!

So if I have got this right the car parks will still be empty due to the high cost, but now it won’t be possible to get a short-term space because people can park on them all day if they wish (but at a similar cost to the car parks)! The only positive bit is the change on evening parking – although there is still a charge.

To sum up then, parking is still far too expensive in the city, there is still an evening charge for on street (unlike Leicester and many other cities) – Stunning – just remind me why people voted this council back in?

 

Finally some common sense from our council?

I blogged a few weeks ago about the crazy change to the parking rates in Nottingham City centre. The council in their infinite wisdom had decided to start charging for evening parking (which had been free for years). This was not a popular decision from all angles, especially the traders who argued that the change would impact on their businesses and consequently reduce the councils income from parking and rates.

8pm is too late.....

I did not think this view was a particularly difficult one to see, but Nottingham City Council do appear to be somewhat ‘blinkered’ at the moment and are making some less than popular decisions. Now that is fine if it is necessary to balance the books in a sensible way. But if it bites the hand that feeds you it is just plain stupid!

To add to the local traders anguish at the same time Leicester were making more free evening parking available – and publicising it as a positive thing. It was commented on at our insite launch by the mayor of Leicester and was generally considered a good idea by all.

so it is good to hear that after having a meeting with traders the council in Nottingham are finally going to ‘consider’ their decision and initially suspend the Sunday charges. That is a step in the right direction, but lets see the 6 – 8pm charges removed as well, surely it makes sense?

 

Nottingham parking – what is the best way forward?

Seeing more 'evening action' now

Parking in cities is always a thorny issue – we have a society that is now so dependant upon the car that we see parking charges as a tax upon our freedom. Perhaps more importantly it can have a profound effect upon businesses in towns or cities with ‘draconian’ pricing policies for parking.

I blogged recently about the changes in Nottingham city centre with regards to evening parking – the City Council have decided to charge for the period between 6pm and 8pm which was previously free and Sundays as a way of controlling long-term parkers. I don’t see this at all and would suggest that it has much more to do with lining their coffers with money.

The issue of managing parking to help the local economy should be at the top of all councils list of priorities, but interestingly neighbouring Leicester City Council have taken the opposite route.

It was November that Nottingham City Council introduced evening and Sunday charges as I have outlined above – it is fair to say that it has been universally unpopular – both with shoppers, traders and the churches!

However, at the same time Leicester City Council opened up 300 free evening spaces with the explicit intention of helping the night-time economy – to me this makes total sense in these hard times.

Nottingham insist their policy was needed to stop ‘some’ motorists taking up spaces for long periods – really? They maintain this will benefit firms and attractions by keeping parking clear for short-stay visitors. My experience is that there were always spaces available before this ruling – there are now lots free as people appear to be staying away. So has Nottingham shot itself in the foot?

I believe so – the amount the city gain through parking fees will be more than lost if the businesses that pay business rates to the council fail. So come on Nottingham, look at the suburbs who started charging and see what happened to them. Put the fees back as they were now before it is too late!