The 22 car parks across South Gloucestershire where you’ll be charged to park from next year

New car parking charges for South Gloucestershire have been revealed. Twenty-two council-owned car parks across the local authority area will see parking charges introduced in spring next year.

The decision to introduce parking fees was approved by South Gloucestershire Council in February this year, as part of the authority’s budget plans. This was despite opposition from nearly 70 per cent of people who responded to a public consultation on the issue at the end of last year.

The council has said current modelling for the scheme suggests it will generate an annual income of more than £800,000, and has said the introduction of charges will help protect services that residents value.

Charges will apply between 8am and 6pm, Mondays to Saturdays, with parking remaining free on Sundays and Bank Holidays, excluding Park and Ride and train station car parks.

Short-stay parking will be charged at only 70p for the first hour, £1.50 for two hours, £3.50 for three hours and £4.50. Blue badge holders will be able to park for free in disabled bays.

In long-stay car parks, motorists will be charged £3 for up to four hours parking, this will be free for blue badge holders. A charge of £6 will apply for parking between four and eight hours, for blue badge holders this will cost £3. A day rate for long-stay car parks will be charged at £9, and £6 for blue badge holders.

Sign up to receive daily news updates and breaking news alerts straight to your inbox for free here.

Park & Ride and train station car parks will be charged at £2.60 for a 24 hour period and free for blue badge holders.

Season tickets will be available to purchase for long-stay car parks and these will be charged at £24 for a week, £90 for a month and £1,008 for a year. The council has said the introduction of season tickets is so local traders, businesses and workers are able to pay for their parking in advance.

Payments for parking will be cashless. Payments will be able to be made using the paperless pay and stay machines on site, using a debit or credit card or contactless, or by using the MiPermit app.

The car parks set to have charges introduced are:

South Gloucestershire Council has said at least ten per cent of spaces in short stay car parks where charging will be introduced will remain free for 30-minute stays. A validation system has also been proposed for some car parks, such as those that have primarily and historically served health facilities, so that people visiting a GP, for example, are not charged.

The local authority has said discussions are currently underway with local councils and other stakeholders about the parking scheme, and a number of formal processes will need to be followed ahead of implementation of the final scheme next year.

Monitoring of displacement parking on roads surrounding the car parks will take place and the council has said it would work with local residents if this occurs to develop practical measures to counter it. This could include the introduction of resident parking schemes if there is proven local need and demand.

South Gloucestershire Council cabinet member for communities and local place, Cllr Sean Rhodes, said: “Having listened carefully to the feedback from local residents and businesses about how car park charging can work, we believe this scheme responds positively to the questions people raised about how we will put it into practice.

“We have always said that an element of free parking would remain, and we will keep ten per cent of short stay spaces free for those short trips we all make. At only 70p for the first hour for longer stays, we strongly believe this will not be a barrier to people getting out and about to visit local shops and other businesses, with parking charges in some neighbouring areas more than three times higher.

“We were also clear that we would not want people being charged to park when they visit their GP, for example. The validation system we are proposing will keep parking free for those important trips. Blue badge holders will continue to be able to park on-street as they do now, and will still be able to use our car parks for up to four hours for free under the new scheme.

“We know that many residents did not want to have to pay car park charges locally. However, the financial situation faced by the council, and the assumptions built into the previous budget by the previous administration, mean that we have had to take this decision.

“We are all used to paying for parking when we drive almost anywhere outside of South Gloucestershire, but I am pleased that we will be able to set charges as low as possible, while still generating important revenue for the council, which will allow us to protect other vital services.”

Implementation of the scheme will require changes to the council’s existing Off Street Parking Places Order (OSPPO), which will be published later this year.