Parking charges in Liverpool city centre are set to increase for the second time this year, with the new rates taking effect from November 1. Liverpool Council has confirmed that motorists will pay more for parking in the heart of the city following a review that began in April.
New charges for inner and outer zones
From next month, a 30-minute stay in the inner city centre will cost £2.40, while an hour will rise to £4.60. The increase applies to all council-owned car parks and spaces across the city centre. The rise is in line with a consumer price index (CPI) increase of 3.1%, and the largest uplift on any single tariff is 70p.
The changes were approved by members of the local authority's cabinet during a meeting on Tuesday. Cllr Ruth Bennett, deputy leader and cabinet member for finance, resources and transformation, said the authority was continually monitoring fees and charges to keep them competitive and sustainable.
Impact of the increase
Fees have already risen this year, with the price of a parking ticket going up by an average of 11%. Revenue generated by the uplift remains below the core cities average. A commercial review of charges across areas including leisure, parking, Liverpool Film Office, bereavement services and city halls took place between April and autumn, with benchmarking work assessing costs against other core cities.
A 30-minute space in the inner parking zone, now chargeable from 7am to 11pm, will rise by 10p from £2.30 to £2.40. A two-hour stay will increase to £6.80 from £6.50, while up to four hours, or five hours after 6pm, will cost £11, up from £10.60.
Outer zone and overall average
In the outer zone of the city centre, charges will increase to £1.90 for 30 minutes, also a 10p rise. Parking for one or two hours will both rise by 20p to £3.60 and £5.60 respectively. Across all council-managed spaces, including Victoria Street, Paddington Village, Mount Pleasant and Kings Dock car parks, the average price of parking will rise by 4% from next month.
These are discretionary charges, meaning the city council is not bound by law to introduce them. A cabinet report said this income makes an important contribution towards the cost of delivering services and supports the overall financial sustainability of the council by reducing the subsidy required from the city's general fund. It is thought the average increase will generate an additional £1.4m.
Despite the increase in fees, revenue generated by parking services over this financial year is expected to come in short of the council's forecasts. The charges uplift also comes as the city council faces a potential court battle over its late-night charging policy after a legal challenge was set by business leaders.
