Parking prices in Swansea are set to change - again, but this time they are getting cheaper. Discount parking rates have been confirmed for certain city centre car parks as part of a "support package" for businesses and shoppers, Swansea Council has confirmed.
The announcement comes just a few months after Swansea Council upped the cost of parking at council-operated car parks, much to the frustration of local residents and people who work in the city centre. At the time, one man claimed he was charged £30, instead of the £3.40 he used to pay, after parking in the city for an eight-hour shift, although the charge for a similar ticket was later reduced to £16.50 for residents and £17 for non-residents.
But people are still paying significantly more than before, with the cost of using the Quadrant multi-storey car park, for example, increasing from £1.40 for an hour to £2.50 - with a 50p reduction for local residents. Swansea Council argued at the time it was the first increase in prices for eight years and brought the city into line with other comparable locations.
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Now, Swansea Council has confirmed the welcome return of the 1-2-3-4-5 parking offer, which will come into effect in council-operated car parks "towards the end of July". You can get the biggest Swansea news stories straight to your inbox with our newsletter.
The parking offer is pretty simple to understand. Parking at council-operated city centre car parks will cost just £1 for an hour, £2 for two hours, £3 for three hours, £4 for four hours - and £5 for all-day parking. Blue Badge holders will also get an extra hour for their money under the new charges.
The announcement comes after the council offered free parking in its city centre car parks on the weekend of June 24 and 25. Further "free parking weekends" are planned for later in the summer, the council says, and the popular "free bus travel" deal is also set to return during the school summer holidays.
Leader of Swansea Council, Rob Stewart, added that the reduced-priced parking was aimed at helping motorists parking in the city and support local businesses at a time of high inflation and rising interest rates.
"The Bank of England has again raised interest rates, creating pressure on householders paying mortgages, and the cost-of-living is hitting people hard. The council will do everything it can to ease the burden on businesses as well as on hard-pressed families struggling to pay their bills," he said.
"Our latest plans are part of our commitment to businesses, city centre workers and visitors to the city centre to ensure they get value for money when they park in the city centre. Motorists will pay just £5 to park all-day in all city centre car parks and this makes us one of the cheapest cities in the UK. We will be planning further free [parking] weekends in the weeks to come."
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