Cut-price parking drive to woo more shoppers into town centre

MOTORISTS in the East Riding are being urged to take advantage of cheaper parking in Beverley.

East Riding Council has reduced fees in many areas, with cuts to most short-stay parking charges, including the on-street parking in the historic North Bar Within, close to the town centre.

Parking in this area now costs 30 pence for the first half-hour and 50 pence for the first hour, with a maximum two-hour stay permitted.

Previously, charges were 1 per hour with no option to pay for less than one hour’s parking.

The council said it was keen to promote the wide range of independent shops and other attractions in North Bar Within, which is also home to St Mary’s, which it described as “the other” great Gothic church in Beverley, in reference to the Minster.

Council leader Stephen Parnaby said: “The council’s car parking review members listened very carefully to what the traders said and we are trying to do our bit to help at what is a difficult time for the economy.

“We have responded to traders’ concerns and I do urge both residents and visitors to Beverley to take advantage of the new lower parking charges and use the shops and other outlets in North Bar Within, which is just a stone’s throw from the centre of town.”

The review also led to lower short-term parking charges in other areas, but the panel deferred controversial plans to introduce charges at free car parks for at least two years in response to the economic downturn.

Last year, the council’s car parking review panel outlined plans to introduce fees at 20 free car parks as part of an attempt to establish a uniform car parking policy for the first time in the authority’s history.

The proposals ran into massive public and political opposition.

The plans, which would have raised an extra 9,000 in revenue, were opposed by the East Riding’s three MPs, the Federation of Small Businesses, and some town councils and residents, thousands of whom signed a petition against the changes.

Conservative MPs David Davis, Greg Knight and Graham Stuart wrote a joint letter urging the council to abandon its plans, which they said could cause “severe damage” to the social fabric of local communities.