Date set for introduction of cap on free parking

Plans to cap free parking at two hours at two council-run car parks will be introduced from October, it has been announced.

Rushcliffe Borough Council agreed the new tariffs for its Newgate Street and Needham Street car parks, in Bingham, Nottinghamshire, in April.

It is currently free to park for up to 12 hours - the maximum stay - at Newgate Street while the Needham Street site is free for two hours and £20 for 12.

The authority said the changes were intended to free up spaces and discourage all-day parking, which shoppers have welcomed.

Visitors to the car parks will be able to access free parking with a voucher from parking machines or with an app.

After that it will cost £1 for a stay of two to three hours and £5 for a stay of three to four hours.

A longer stay, up to 12 hours, will cost drivers £10, with charges applying Monday to Sunday between 08:00 and 18:00.

Stephen Levick, 73, who visits Bingham from East Bridgford, said the charges were a "good thing".

"It's very difficult to park in these car parks most of the time so if people want to park all day and they have to pay for, then I think that's fine," he told the BBC.

"I would sooner have the convenience of parking than not. The car parks should be for shoppers but at the moment they're not."

Trevor Eardley, who was out shopping, said the change "made a lot of sense".

"It will stop the all-day parking and I might be able to get a space," he said.

Beverley Maguire, 65, who regularly travels to the town from Harby, also backed the new charges and believed it would have a positive impact on the local economy.

"I think some people won't like [the charges] because they're not used to them but I think we've all got to do our bit to try to help the economy at the moment," she said.

The council said free parking for 30 minutes would also be introduced in the bays around the marketplace to encourage short-stay parking in the town centre.

About 30 chargeable spaces will be made available for long-stay parking at Bingham Arena for staff working at local businesses, the authority added.

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