Several free car parks across Bristol are set to become pay and display, while four other car parks will be sold off. Drivers will have to pay to park in 10 district car parks from this autumn, which are currently free.
Bristol City Council is planning to charge drivers to use these 10 car parks as part of a plan to improve enforcement and stop drivers staying there all day. The four car parks which will be sold are also hotspots for issues like anti-social behaviour, according to the council.
Blue badge holders will be exempt from paying to use the car parks. It’s expected that the cost of installing pay and display machines will be £80,000. The changes are expected to be signed off the cabinet on Tuesday, January 24, and come into effect in autumn this year.
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A cabinet report said: “Parking services propose to sell the four car parks with low occupancy as demand for parking is low, and as the only potential remaining free car parks they will operate at a cost to the service for the continued maintenance and upkeep.
“The occupancy levels at 10 of the other free district car parks are relatively high, so there is a reasonable degree of confidence that the introduction of pay and display in these will enable improved management, by making enforcement more efficient, discouraging all day parking, maximising the use of space, and ensuring effective turnover of spaces.”
The four car parks to be sold are at Clayton Street in Avonmouth, Harden Road in Stockwood, Queens Road in Withywood, and Ridingleaze in Lawrence Weston. The parking department gets a lot of complaints of anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping at the car park at Clayton Street. They plan to close the car park with fences or barriers blocking the entrance.
The 10 free car parks which will become pay and display are at Beechwood Road in Frome Vale, Callington Road in Brislington, Chalks Road in St George, Derby Street in St George, Ducie Road in Lawrence Hill, Machin Road in Henbury, Repton Road in Brislington, Stoke View Road in Eastville, Waverley Road in Shirehampton, and Westbury Hill in Westbury.
