Bristol parking charges to begin at nine council car parks

Nine Bristol car parks to introduce new parking charges from October

Bristol parking charges to begin at nine council car parks Drivers in several Bristol suburbs will soon have to pay to park at nine council-owned car parks, with new charges and maximum stay limits coming into force from Monday 5 October. The changes follow a long-running debate over council parking charges and mean pay-and-display rules will apply seven days a week between 8am and 6pm. Which Bristol car parks are affected? The nine car parks affected are Beechwood Road and Stoke View in Fishponds, Callington Road and Repton Road in Brislington, Chalks Road and Derby Street in Redfield, Ducie Road in Lawrence Hill, Machin Road in Henbury and Waverley Road in Shirehampton. Drivers will still be able to park free of charge between 6pm and 8am, when the new restrictions will not apply. The first hour will also remain free during charging hours, giving motorists making short visits an opportunity to park without paying. For stays of more than an hour, charges will increase according to the length of the visit. Parking for up to two hours will cost £1.50, rising to £3 for three hours and £4.50 for four hours. The maximum stay will be four hours, meaning drivers planning longer visits will need to take the new limit into account when choosing where to park. The charges will apply to cars, light goods vehicles and motorcycles, as well as electric vehicles using designated charging bays while plugged in. Disabled Badge holders will continue to receive free, unrestricted parking, while standard motorcycles and pedal cycles can also park free in marked bays. Westbury Hill car park charges delayed Although ten car parks were originally included in the council's plans, Westbury Hill Car Park in Westbury Village has been left out of the October rollout. The proposed charges there have been deferred while the council coordinates them with a wider consultation on local residents' parking schemes due to begin this autumn. Westbury Hill had attracted more than 140 formal objections, with opponents raising concerns about the potential effect on the local high street and access to nearby services. Meanwhile, three former council car parks at Clayton Street in Avonmouth, Little Paradise North in Bedminster and Queens Road in Withywood have been removed from the council's parking network to make way for new developments. New Bristol parking permits The changes will also introduce annual permits aimed at supporting local businesses and healthcare providers using the affected parking areas. Local businesses will be able to buy annual business permits for £280, while healthcare centres can obtain dedicated bays for £280 a year. Medical staff permits will cost £5 annually, with additional medical permit bays also being added at Brunel Lock, Sheene Road and Oldfield Place. For Bristol drivers, the changes mean checking both the new tariffs and maximum stay before parking will become particularly important from 5 October. Motorists who regularly use one of the affected car parks may also want to consider whether the free first hour or a permit is more suitable for their usual visits. The legal documents relating to the changes can be inspected at the Citizen Service Point on Temple Street between 10am and 4pm from Monday to Friday, as well as through Bristol City Council's website. With nine car parks moving to paid parking, drivers across the affected Bristol suburbs will need to factor the new charges and four-hour maximum stay into their parking plans from October.