Transport chiefs have scaled back plans to axe free evening parking in Newcastle city centre.
It emerged last year that Newcastle City Council was bidding to axe the Alive After Five offer that has made car parking in city centre multi-storeys free after 5pm since 2010, sparking hundreds of objections and fears about a potential drop in trade for culture and hospitality venues. Proposals to “respond to changing demand” and cut air pollution would have seen fees extended to 10pm at the Eldon Square, Eldon Garden, Dean Street, Oxford Street, and Grainger Town multi-storey car parks, as well as for all on-street spaces in the core city centre.
But it has now been confirmed that the council will instead opt for a compromise option – with free parking from 7pm onwards. The local authority announced that the extended charges will be imposed “in the coming weeks once the council has completed the statutory processes and updated signage across all car parks”, likely by August.
