Council parking prices set to rise in Plymouth

Plymouth City Council is putting up parking charges across the city

Prices are set to rise at council car parks across Plymouth as the local authority says it needs to deal with "rising costs and the rate of inflation".

The price of parking for two hours in a city centre long-stay car park will go up in April from £3 to £3.30, and in a short stay car park the price will go from £2.90 to £3.20 for two hours.

The cost of parking permits is also going up and the public will have to pay a 20p fee for using parking app RingGo. There will also no longer be separate daytime and evening rates.

The city council said the plans offered motorists "a greater choice of parking and payment options" and brought Plymouth's charges "more in line with other parts of the country".

'Protect the future'

All parking permit charges are being increased, with the cost of a business permit going from £440 to £475.

The cost of applying for and installing a disabled-driver parking space will also be increased, with the council saying this would "help protect the future of these services".

The 20p service charge for using the RingGo parking app has been covered by the council since August 2020, when it said it wanted to encourage cashless payments during the Covid-19 pandemic, but that cost will now be payable by the public.

The council said it had made improvements to support motorists, including the creation of more than 400 extra-wide spaces, expanding payment options, increasing the maximum stay on-street in the city centre, and introducing business permits in some loading areas.

Mark Coker, the city council's cabinet member for transport, said: "These changes are essential for ensuring the sustainability of our services and making our parking system more user-friendly."

He said the council was "addressing long-standing issues and aligning our charges with other cities".

The new prices will come into effect from 14 April.