Parking fee hikes drive shoppers away, warn traders

People are parking in Shrewsbury for less time and spending less money because of rising charges, business leaders say.

The number of hours parked in Shropshire Council car parks between November and May fell by 9.7% compared to the same period in 2024/25, and the number of transactions fell by 2.3%, Shrewsbury Business Improvement District (BID) said.

The increases, introduced a year ago, were the first since 2022, and the authority is running a consultation on further proposed rises - the BID said they were "eye-watering".

However, Rob Wilson, cabinet member for transport and regeneration, said managing parking helps keep town centres accessible, reduces congestion and makes spaces available.

"These proposals strike an important balance between maintaining choice for motorists, supporting the vitality of our town centres and ensuring the long-term sustainability of transport services across the county," Wilson said.

"This is why which is why some charges are proposed to increase, some to decrease and others to remain unchanged."

Under the proposals, Band 2 car parks, including Bridge Street, would increase from £2.80 to £3.80 an hour, while Band 3 sites, such as St Julian's Friars, would rise from £1.40 to £2.

Charges at Band 4 car parks, including Frankwell Riverside, would fall from £1.20 to £1 an hour, while there would be no changes to Bands 5, 6 and 7.

In its report, the BID said since the parking charge rises in November 2025, one-hour stays were up, while three and five-hour stays had fallen.

"At Frankwell Main, where the hourly tariff rose by 50%, hours purchased fell by an average of 21% year on year between March and May," it said.

"Town centre spend is down 5.8% so far this year, more than twice the national fall, even though footfall is up on last year."

It added that 82% of businesses surveyed said visitors now stayed for less time, with "at least eight in 10" rating the impact of parking costs on their customers and staff as "significant".

The BID said it welcomed the proposed reduction in parking fees at Frankwell, as well as the introduction of a Sunday and evening Park & Ride service, but said a full-time worker parking at Frankwell would still pay £8 a day, 25% more than before November 2025.

It added it believed the price increases had caused more drivers to park on residential streets.

Wilson said the authority was looking at parking "more holistically", including residents' parking schemes, the new bus services, and wider improvements to how people travel around the county.

"Parking income can also help support the wider transport network, including improvements to parking facilities, park and ride services and alternatives to travelling by car," he added.

The BID is calling on the authority to limit near-term increases to a maximum of 20%, introduce maximum charges that reward longer visits, and commit to more car park capacity and associated flood resilience within two years.

The consultation is open until 26 November.

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