Late night parking charges raised more than £1m
BBCA decision to scrap free late night parking in Liverpool city centre has brought in an estimated £1.1m in additional revenue, a Freedom of Information request revealed.
The Liverpool Business Leaders group, which submitted the request, has called on the council to provide evidence to show the scheme has not damaged the city's evening economy.
A Liverpool City Council spokesperson said the income was reinvested into the city's transport and highways network and used to strengthen enforcement activity to help tackle inconsiderate and dangerous parking.
Hospitality bosses in Liverpool have previously described the council's decision as the "straw that broke the camel's back" for the industry.
Despite a consultation finding that almost 90% of people were against the move, councillors pressed ahead with the change, arguing it would standardise parking across the city centre. The plan was first mooted in 2022.
Last summer, signage and parking meters were updated across the city centre to reflect the changes to the controlled parking zone (CPZ).
From 1 July last year to 30 June this year, more than 143,000 tickets were purchased by drivers within the CPZ since it was changed from 18:00 to 23:00.
A Freedom of Information request by the Liverpool Business Leaders group to the city council revealed an estimated £1.1m from parking which was wholly or partially within the new chargeable period.
According to the council, this figure is based on the tariffs that were applicable at the time of the transaction where the individual parked either in the inner or outer CPZ.
In the period between 18:00 and 07:00, £801,000 was generated in new revenue alone, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
A Liverpool Business Leaders spokesperson said: "The question now is how much of that [the income generated] is surplus, and what the council is doing with it."
They said parking charges needed to "serve a clear transport purpose" and "should not become a quiet way of extracting money from people who come into the city to eat, shop, see a show or work an evening shift".
The group said it had called on the council to publish the cost of running the scheme, the net income produced and the evidence that it had not damaged Liverpool's evening economy.
A Liverpool City Council spokesperson said the changes were introduced in response to the city's significant growth in recent years.
"The expansion of the night-time economy has increased demand for parking, creating pressures on available spaces and contributing to congestion, unsafe parking and reduced access for residents, visitors and businesses," they added.
They said income generated from on-street parking and parking charge notices was reinvested into the city's transport and highways network, helping to maintain and improve essential infrastructure used by millions of people every year.
"It has also enabled us to strengthen enforcement activity, including the recruitment of an additional 62 enforcement officers who help tackle inconsiderate and dangerous parking in communities across the city," they added.
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