PARKING charges are set to return at some car parks in Filton, Patchway and Stoke Gifford next spring.
The sites are among 22 where South Gloucestershire Council wants to reintroduce fees in the hope of raising £800,000 a year.
The council says it knows residents would like free parking to continue but financial pressures prevent this. However, the charges will be kept as low as possible, with one hour in a short-stay car park, such as The Parade in Patchway costing 70p. At this site, a validation scheme will ensure that people visiting the doctors do not have to pay.
The council says that “At least 10% of spaces” in short-stay car parks will be free for stays of up to 30 minutes.
In long-stay car parks, such as Abbey Wood and Church View in Filton, the minimum charge will be £3 for up to four hours, rising to £9 for a day. The charge at the Stoke Gifford park and ride will be £2.60 for 24 hours.
Blue badge holders will be able to park free for four hours in both short and long stay car parks, and there will be season tickets ranging from £24 a week to £1,008 a year. Charges will apply between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Saturday, with parking staying free on Sundays and Bank Holidays. Payments will be cashless, using cards or an app.
The charges were agreed as part of this year’s budget, and the council says they will “go live” in the spring.
Cabinet councillor Sean Rhodes said: “Having listened to the feedback from residents and businesses about how charging can work, we believe this scheme responds positively to the questions raised. We are all used to paying for parking when we drive almost anywhere outside of South Gloucestershire, but I am pleased we will be able to set charges as low as possible, while still generating important revenue for the council, which will allow us to protect other vital services.”