Plans to reduce town centre parking prices across Dudley approved

Plans to reduce the price of short term parking for visitors to borough town centres have been approved.

A new charge of 50p for half an hour will be introduced from October 23. The price for one hour parking is to reduce to £1, while two hours will go down to £2.

The move has been backed by the manager of the Churchill Shopping Centre in Dudley town centre who today labelled it a “strong show of support” for town centre businesses.

Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of the council, said: “Our improved financial position means that we are now in a position to be able to do more to help our town centre businesses after a difficult few months.

“Traders have stuck with us through the very difficult decisions we have had to make, and we are very grateful for that. One of our priorities is supporting town centres and businesses and this will go some way to achieving that.

“The new 50p charge will mean people can pop into town if they need to and we are also reducing the cost of one and two hour tariffs if they need to stay longer. That’s good business sense from the council and good for town centre businesses.”

Rob Ellis, Director at LCP UK, part of M Core, and Asset Manager to the Churchill Shopping Centre in Dudley, said: "We’re delighted to see the council take this positive step to make town centre parking more accessible and affordable.

“The new lower tariffs, especially the 50p short-stay option, are a welcome move that will encourage more people to visit and shop locally.

“For our shoppers at Churchill Shopping Centre, this means even greater convenience and better value, allowing them to pop in for a quick purchase or stay longer without worrying about high parking costs.

“It’s a real boost for the local economy and a strong show of support for town centre businesses.”

The council was forced to stop free parking during challenging financial pressures earlier this year. Since then, there has been a 293 per cent increase in income equating to £1.2million.

The charges currently are between £1.20 and £1.80 for one hour, £2.50 for two hours, £3 for three hours, £4 for four hours (short stay car parks only) and £6 all day (long stay only).

From October 23 on short stay car parks three hours will remain at £3, and four hours increase from £4 to £5. These tariffs will be removed from long stay car parks, with an all day fee of £6 retained.