Changes to car parking across the city proposed

Newcastle City Council is looking at its car parking services going cashless, with the roll out of upgraded ticket machines to enable cashless payments to all car parking across the city.

With cashless payments the preferred option for users of the city centre car parks, the council is looking to expand this service to all locations. This is designed to improve car parking services across the city, benefiting the majority of people who prefer cashless, as well as generating much-needed savings and efficiencies for the council.

Cllr Jane Byrne, cabinet member for a connected, clean city, said: “With the vast majority of people preferring cashless payments due to its convenience and ease, we’re keen to see this service expanded to include all car parking in the city.

“Other local authorities have successfully migrated to cashless systems for parking or plan to, so Newcastle wouldn’t be out of step with other parts of the country. However, we do recognise that while the vast majority of our car park users will be pleased with the proposals, there are other groups who may be more impacted, such as older people and people with disabilities, and we have been engaging with these groups ahead of the consultation process. We will also look to provide additional support to anyone who requires it through video tutorials available on our website or in-person demonstrations.”

“The proposals are designed to improve car parking across the city, giving people greater flexibility and convenience, as well as ensuring that council services can make some savings and provide better value for money. We welcome everyone’s view and would encourage people to take part in the consultation.”

The proposals would see all coin-operated machines gradually withdrawn and replaced with upgraded card-enabled ticket machines at every location in the city. The check in check out service, which currently operates in eight car parks in the city centre, would be expanded to 40 car parks across the city where there are no maximum stays. Car parks with maximum stays and all on-street parking bays would see customers pay by card for pre-payment of time limited car parking charges. The PaybyPhone service, which currently operates in all car parks and some limited streets, will be expanded to cover the rest of the city.

The proposals mean that all car park users would benefit from not having to search for coins, as well as paying only for the time parked with the check in check out system or not having to rush back to top up their car parking through the PayByPhone service, which can be topped up remotely if required. Blue badge holders will still park for free in the on-street car parking bays. People who don’t have bank cards, can use pre-paid cards which are widely available and can be topped up via the Post Office or PayPoint outlets.

Notices setting out the proposed changes and details on how people can respond will be published and displayed in car parks and on-street parking sites in the coming weeks. People will have 21 days to submit comments. All feedback will be considered before a final decision is made.

Any changes are subject to the statutory consultation process and, if they go ahead, would be expected to be introduced early 2023, with a full roll out completed over a six-month period.