COLCHESTER Council’s city centre car parks have undergone a pricing restructure this year – including several key changes and price rises.

Recent changes include switching St John’s car park, in Southway, to a short-stay option for visitors.

Where once those who work in the city centre could pay £4 for a day’s parking at St John’s, the changes mean a stay of up to 12 hours would set them back £12.

The authority argues the changes, which include a cheaper £3 option for stays of up to four hours, will encourage shoppers to use the car park.

Price changes have also seen the council’s Britannia car park, in Britannia Way, switched to a long-stay option to offset the changes to St John’s.

A new day rate of £4 is on offer, available only through the MiPermit app.

A report which went before the council's cabinet in November last year said the authority could expect an income of £3.4 million from its car parks over the coming year.

The cost of Colchester Council's city centre car parks in full

A Colchester Council spokesman said: “Our parking strategy aims to get the balance right between providing convenient and value-for-money parking for visitors, whilst managing demand at peak times and reducing the environmental impact of traffic.

“Parking fees and charges play an important role in influencing driver behaviour and can have a positive impact on air quality and congestion, supporting the council’s climate emergency declaration, Parking Strategy and Transport Policy.

“The new charging structure for 2023 is much simpler and aligns fees across our car parks and ensures the costs of managing and maintaining our car parks is covered, as we experience rising costs.

READ MORE: Colchester's St John's Car Park ticket price rises for long stays

“Colchester City Council’s 2023 parking tariffs offer excellent value, when benchmarked with other city and town centre locations in the region, and were agreed at its cabinet meeting in November 2022.

"After which, the statutory requirements for advertising the tariff changes were fulfilled and included both Notices of Variation and on-site advance notices being displayed in the affected car parks and an advertisement in the local newspaper.

“To support and implement the council’s Positive Parking Strategy, Britannia has now changed from a short to a long-stay car park, and St John’s from a long- to a short-stay car park.

"The hours during which tariffs and offers apply are determined by the opening hours of each site.

“Tariffs have not risen in all council-owned car parks and not all tariffs have changed in the car parks that are affected.

“We would encourage motorists to visit our website at colchester.gov.uk/parking and review the tariffs and offers that best suit their parking stay needs and highlight that our best value parking offers are available using the MiPermit app.”

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