Council parking prices set to rise in Plymouth

Prices are going up at council car parks across Plymouth as the local authority copes with "rising costs and the rate of inflation".

From 14 April, two hours in a city centre long-stay car park will cost £3.30, up from £3, and two hours in short-stay car parks will cost £3.20, up from £2.90.

The cost of parking permits is also going up, and the public will have to pay an extra 20p to use parking app RingGo. There will also no longer be separate daytime and evening rates.

The city council said the plans offered motorists "a greater choice of parking and payment options" and brought charges "more in line with other parts of the country".

All parking permit charges are being increased, with the cost of a business permit going from £440 to £475.

The cost of applying for and installing a disabled-driver parking space will also be increased, with the council saying this would "help protect the future of these services".

The 20p being charged using the RingGo parking app had been covered by the council since August 2020, when it said it wanted to encourage cashless payments during the pandemic.

The council said it had made improvements to support motorists, including the creation of more than 400 extra-wide spaces, expanding payment options, increasing the maximum stay on-street in the city centre, and introducing business permits in some loading areas.

Councillor Mark Coker said the authority was ending the two-tier system where people would pay during the day and then again at night, to allow them to "move around".

"If you pay in one of our car parks and still have an hour or so left on that ticket, unlike before, you will be able to use that hour," said Mr Coker.

He added: "Everyone knows councils up and down the country are struggling.

"We can't rely on additional funding within parking so we are having to make these decisions to make parking more efficient and take less money from the council."

He said the changes were essential for ensuring the sustainability of its services, adding it would make the parking system more "user-friendly".

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