Free evening city parking set to end within weeks

Free on-street evening parking in Liverpool city centre could be brought to an end within weeks.

It is currently free after 18:00, but Liverpool City Council is set to extend the charging period to run from 07:00 to 23:00 daily.

The plans were first mooted in November 2022 as the council looked to plug an expanding budget gap.

But after a delay of several years, a senior official has now confirmed the fees will kick in from the end of March at the latest.

The move comes almost two months after the council's cabinet signed off on a rise in parking charges generally.

Liverpool City Council said the plans to end free parking after 18:00 GMT were designed to create more spaces for those holding resident and business permits, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

In December, the council approved a significant hike in parking fees that will come into force from next year, with fees to rise by as much as 70% in some places.

The council is currently working up its budget options for April and beyond as it looks to fill a £29m blackhole.

Pressures around social care and homelessness have added to the need to generate cash to balance the books.

As a result, city car parks will now cost more to drivers from March, with hourly rates also on the increase.

Councillor Ruth Bennett, deputy leader of Liverpool Council and cabinet member for finance, said the existing scheme was "out of kilter" with other major cities across the UK.

The most significant planned increase is for on-street car parking, where charges will rise by an average of 60%.

A four-hour stay in a city centre bay will increase from £6 to £9.60.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.