Important changes affecting public car parking in Wirral are on the horizon

We are proposing changes to parking charges, in line with the approved Parking Strategy, that will affect car parking across the borough.

The key highlights of the proposals are:-

• Inflationary increases in charges at all council-owned car parks and on-street parking bays where fees already apply
• Increase in charges for resident parking schemes
• Introduction of charges at council-owned car parks and on-street parking bays that had been previously free
• Introduction of a £1 charge to park overnight (between 6.30pm and 8am) at all council-owned car parks on on-street parking bays

The introduction of new charges for car parking and the overnight parking charge are subject to the adoption of a new Traffic Regulation Order (TRO), which is a legal requirement that involves consultation with residents.

That consultation runs for four weeks, until 23 October 2024. More details can be found at haveyoursay.wirral.gov.uk

There is no requirement to consult on the increase in fees in areas where charges were already present.

Introducing more paid-for parking controls will help address the challenges and future parking impacts by managing traffic, congestion, and ensuring regular turnover of spaces in line with the approved Wirral Parking Strategy. 

The changes also support the strategy in aligning and supporting other policies and initiatives, such as the Cool Wirral campaign to encourage local climate-related action.

Charging would allow the council to meet the costs of continuing to provide dedicated public car parking into the future in a fair and equitable manner, ensuring that any new parking plans are self-financing. 

Blue Badge holders will not need to pay for parking as long as they clearly display their Blue Badge.

The findings of the consultation will be reported back to the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee later this year for a decision. Members will also be asked to decide on the proposal to increase fees in areas where charges were already present.

More details about the consultation can be found at: Car Parking Charges - Traffic Regulation Orders Consultation 2024 | Have your say Wirral.