Drivers to pay more for Newcastle council-run car parks

Eldon Square car park in Newcastle will see prices increase

A council is set to generate more than £1m extra a year after raising the cost of parking at more than 170 of its car parks.

Newcastle City Council will increase parking fees at all council-owned car parks in April.

Parking fees will go up by 30p per hour in some car parks, while the daily cost could increase by £1.

The council said it wanted to reduce congestion and air pollution in line with the new Clean Air Zone (CAZ).

It comes as the council signed off on £23m of budget cuts and a 4% hike in council tax charges, last week.

At the time, councillors said parking charges in council-run car parks would rise and social services spending would be cut by £6m as part of its latest budget.

Car parks, including multi-storey sites like Dean Street and the Quayside, will see an increase of between 20p and 30p per hour.

But the Kingston Park Tyne and Wear Metro station will see its £1.40 day rate reduced to £1 to encourage more to use public transport, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

"We review our parking charges on an annual basis so that we can manage demand for spaces and reduce congestion and pollution," Jane Byrne, the council's cabinet member responsible for transport, said.

"In car parks and at on-street bays with an hourly rate, we are planning to introduce an increase of either 20p or 30p an hour, depending on location, from April 2023.

"Daily parking fees at the Eldon Garden, Grainger Town, Manors and Quayside multi-storey car parks will also increase by £1."

Ms Byrne said the changes were "aimed at managing demand and traffic flows" and to encourage people to "switch to alternative modes of travel".

She said it also allowed people to choose less expensive car parks, outside the new CAZ, "supporting" improvements to the city's air quality.

The CAZ started on 30 January and means higher-polluting vehicles such as taxis, buses and HGVs are charged between £12.50 and £50 a day to go into the city centre.