SOUTH Gloucestershire Council has announced the date when its controversial car parking charges will “go live”.
Drivers will have to pay to park in 22 council-owned and managed car parks from Monday May 19.
The affected car parks are in Thornbury, Yate, Staple Hill, Mangotsfield, Winterbourne, Kingswood (including Kings Chase shopping centre), Filton, Hanham, Warmley and Stoke Gifford.
The plan to introduce charges, which was agreed by councillors last year with the aim of raising £800,000 per year in revenue, has been widely opposed in Thornbury, with the Thornbury Town Centre Partnership writing an open letter last year raising concerns over the effects the charges could have on businesses, residents and visitors.
Traders in Staple Hill have also spoken out over the charges.
Each car park will have a small number of marked bays where parking for up to 30 minutes is free, including: 14 in Rock Street, 8 in St Mary Street and 6 in Castle Court, Thornbury; 5 in Page Road, Staple Hill; 2 in
St James Street, Mangotsfield; 9 at Yate Leisure Centre South; 7 at Kings Chase, Kingswood and 2 at Flaxpits Lane, Winterbourne.
There will also be free parking for up to four hours for disabled blue badge holders, and validation schemes for people who use the car parks at St Mary Street in Thornbury, and Kennedy Way and Yate Leisure Centre South to use nearby medical centres.
The council has already started preparatory works in the affected car parks, and says it will install cashless payment machines and main signage next week.
Not all car parks are part of the scheme, and not all stays will be charged for.
Full details of those affected can be found here.
The council says drivers will be able to pay for stays using an app called MiPermit, contactless cards or smartphone payments using machines or make a phone call and pay by card.
Short stay charges range from 70p for an hour to £5 for up to four hours.
Long stay charges range from £3 for the first four hours to £5 for over six hours, with season tickets available for people who use them every day.
Each car park where charging will apply will have clear signage and there are a range of easy, cashless ways for drivers to pay if they need to.
Drivers will be able to use the MiPermit app on their smart phones; ‘tap and go’ with their payment card or smartphone using the machines; and for those who don’t want to make a contactless payment with their card or phone, they can make a phone call and pay by card.
Key features of the scheme include that at least 10 per cent of spaces will be clearly marked in short-stay car parks to allow for free for stays of up to 30 minutes.
The council says it has been collecting figures on current parking patterns in streets surrounding the affected car parks and will monitor them after the scheme is introduced so it can “work with residents to identify the best ways to mitigate any changes to parking patterns locally”.
Council cabinet member for local place Sean Rhodes said: “The scheme we are introducing is simple and relatively cheap compared to neighbouring authorities.
“It doesn’t apply to all car parks, but where it does apply, the money we bring in will help protect essential services into the future.
“I’ve no doubt there will be a period of adjustment for some drivers, but I expect that most car owners already have several parking apps on their smartphones and are used to paying for parking almost everywhere they go.
“The cashless system will also allow users to use their smartphone or payment card to make contactless payments. And for those who prefer or don’t have a smartphone, they will be able to pay by making a phone call.
“The way the system will work has been the subject of detailed conversations with a range of stakeholders, businesses groups and town and parish councils in the areas affected, and we thank them for their constructive engagement to develop a scheme that will work for our area.”