Wirral Council is looking to bring in parking charges at 22 car parks and three roads where parking is currently free
New parking charges expected to be brought in by Wirral Council later this year have been greeted with anger as the local authority looks to balance its budget. The council dropped plans in 2022 due to intense opposition and legal challenges.
Wirral Council announced on September 25 a plan to bring in a traffic regulation order that would see charges introduced at 22 car parks on three roads where they’re currently free. Car parks where people already pay are also set to see an increase.
Rates will range from £1.20 for one hour to £6 for four hours or more. A £1 overnight charge will also be brought in for anyone wanting to park between 6.30pm and 8am.
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In December 2023, councillors from all parties unanimously approved a new parking strategy for the borough that could generate £15m for the local authority in the long run. Wirral Council said the new proposed charges were to help deliver this policy and in July, a budget report said parking charges would be needed to help balance the local authority’s finances and close a £300,000 shortfall in its parking budget.
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Councillors have warned not introducing the charges is “not sustainable” and the council could face “very difficult choices about what we want to do with other libraries and leisure centres” if charges aren’t introduced. Wirral Council said: “If approved, these changes would allow the council to meet the costs of continuing to provide dedicated public car parking in a fair way and address future parking impacts by ensuring that any new parking plans are self-financing.”
The new charges aren’t expected to be brought in until the winter and need approval by councillors. However, those who spoke to the ECHO in two areas that are set to see the charges brought in were almost all against the idea.
Outside Adventure Land in New Brighton, Catherine Tootle said: “It will stop people spending their money as they will have already used it for their parking. It’s going to be very hard on the traders. They have been forcing it on us for a couple of years and it’s a bad idea I think. It will stop people.
“I come down every day and I buy a coffee or a sandwich. It’s a shame because New Brighton needs people. Without the likes of us and people from outside the area, it will die.”
Catherine said she worries any charges could hold back New Brighton and stop people from visiting affordable places like Adventure Land, adding: “It’s a crying shame. People don’t have a lot of money. This is their Disneyland. It’s a harsh thing to put on people.”
Down at the Derby Pool car park, cars were lined up despite the poor weather with people looking out from them over the north Wirral coastline. One of those people, Rosalind Ireland, told the ECHO: “I think it’s terrible. We just came to look at the beach and watch the dogs. People just won’t come. This is our beach.
“It’s relaxing even if it’s a horrible day. You put the window up and be warm and just watch.”
Jack Mellor believes it was introduced heading into the winter because the summer crowds have gone. He felt the council was not spending money in the right way, adding: “It will be the local people that get battered. It’s not on. It absolutely blows my mind.”
One man who fishes near Derby Pool said he often comes down at night to fish, adding: “It’s getting ridiculous. They are trying to get as much out of the public as possible. They want us to pay to park everywhere. We have seen what they have done with the motor homes.
“If they keep pushing people away, it will affect the businesses.”
Back in New Brighton, John Hubberstey and Rob Evans were just packing up after a morning fishing down on the beach. John said: “I don’t think you’ll find anyone agreeing with it. It’s disgusting.
“I used to fish further up on Monks Ferry. That’s a pay-and-display now so I’ve never been since and they do patrol it. It’s just not worth the cost.”
He felt the charges would be brought in anyway pointing to previous restrictions around motorhomes parking on the Dips and West Wallasey Van Hire parking dozens of vans on the road, adding: “It will have a negative effect in the end. It will stop people coming, they just won’t pay for it so I think it won’t work anyway. These major ones (referring to Fort Perch Rock car park) it’s always been free and it’s free for a reason.”
Rob Evans said they had parked up since the early hours of the morning to fish which would cost them £6 under the new charges. He jokes it would be “six quid for one plaice.”
Asked if he understood why the council might bring in charges, he said: “The only advantage for us would be not as many people would come here so it would make it quieter for us to find somewhere to park. It will affect the businesses totally.”
Karen Walsh, who was visiting the Floral Pavilion theatre, said: “It’s been really good to get parking just over here. It was for a business event and it’s one of the things that makes people want to come.”
John Frost said he didn’t feel strongly either way as someone who doesn’t have a car and felt some people might just park further away and walk in, adding: “I do think if they are getting a good service from it, then yes I am in favour. If it’s going to be used for more facilities along here then yes. I feel they desperately need things, more attractions for children and families.”
Wirral Council said it will monitor the impact on businesses as the charges are rolled out and cited a report done in 2023 which “showed that people who walk or cycle or take public transport may spend longer at the shops and spend more money.” The council said: “The changes are designed to encourage a regular turnover of parking spaces so that the businesses can get a variety of customers throughout their business day and more people can have access to parking spaces.”
People will only be able to pay by card, contactless, over the telephone or through the JustPark app. As for why on-street parking was being included, the local authority said: “Parking charges are proposed for on-street parking as well as car parks to try and limit displacement from car parks to on-street parking.
“By charging the same across both on-street and car parks, neither is, therefore, more favourable than the other in terms of cost and as well as limiting displacement, this should also prevent congestion and better manage parking at our on-street locations.”
It said additional measures such as residents parking zones and yellow lines could “be considered where essential for the safety of road users.”
