6 replies to this topic

[Vanda]

NOT enough people are paying to park in Gloucester, leaving a £100,000 black hole in council finances.
The city council has budgeted for £2.4 million from drivers this year, but is on course to get just £2.3m.
This shortfall, revealed in a report to the cabinet, has led to calls for a rethink in a bid to encourage more people into the city.
Paul Soden, who owns Cafe Rene in Southgate Street, said: "We've been banging on about this for years, Gloucester is dead at night, maybe it's time the council was more inventive and came up with some good deals for people.
"In my experience, people will do absolutely anything to get out of paying for their parking."
John Clingan, from The Farmhouse Deli, in Northgate Street, said the cost of parking should be reviewed.
"One of the biggest complaints we get from customers is over parking, but there's little we can do about it," he said. "With times as they are, prices should be going down.
"It's a false economy to do anything else."
The city council owns 15 car parks across Gloucester, with prices ranging from £2 to a maximum of £6 for all-day parking, going up in two-hour increments.
Charging ends at 4pm, 6pm or 7pm, depending on the site.
Value
That compares favourably to shopping rivals like Cheltenham, where prices go up to £11, and Birmingham, where the maximum day-time tariff is £13.
The prices have been frozen in recent years, with council chiefs preferring to increase things like street permits in residential areas to make up for it. The authority, which is cutting £3.8m from the budget this year, maintains it is good value.
Councillor Debbie Llewellyn (Con, Quedgeley Fieldcourt), cabinet member for resources, said: "If you compare us to other areas, we are pretty much the cheapest around – we want people to come to Gloucester and are doing our best to help that."
http://www.thisisglo...tail/story.html

[Reg Cubit]

Knowing the berks in charge, they'll put the prices up to fill this blackhole, then won't understand why it will get bigger.

[Kay Powell]

They increased the charging period, which helped to drive me away from the city centre. Does anyone know which car park stops charging at 4pm? I thought that they now charged till either 6pm or 7pm.

[Vanda]

I did notice some cheap NCP parking the other day. The NCP by Bruton Way charges an "Early Bird" special £3.50 if you get there before 9.30 am not too sure what time you have to leave by?

[Tony]

Full list of car parks and charges can be found here;

http://www.glouceste...Gloucester.aspx

Just click on the name of the car park and it will tell you the opening times and charges.

[Eddie]

Thanks Tony. Useful information

[Kay Powell]

Tony, on 11 November 2011 - 08:53 PM, said:

Full list of car parks and charges can be found here;

http://www.glouceste...Gloucester.aspx

Just click on the name of the car park and it will tell you the opening times and charges.

Thanks for the link, Tony. I am amazed that the GL1 car park doesn't charge after 3pm, according to the city council website. I'm going to check it out this week.