THE public are being asked their opinions regarding a proposed parking permit scheme for Manchester city centre residents.
The first consultation will concern zone three in the city centre which includes the large arc from Castlefield to Piccadilly basin.
Under the proposed changes, city centre residents would be able to purchase permits for zone three areas, choosing from a range of permits for parking on street at various times to suit their needs.
“We’re hoping to introduce a new system which will be more flexible for people living in the city centre, enabling them to buy a range of permits depending on people’s individual circumstances."
This could be 8am-9am and 5pm-8pm on weekdays and 8am-8pm on weekends, or 8am-8pm Monday to Sunday. Permits would cover a year, six-month or three-month period, and cost from £250 to £750 per year.
According to the Council, the permits would offer up to a 90 per cent reduction on the equivalent pay and display prices, which currently apply from Monday to Sunday 8am-8pm, excluding bank holidays, and cost from 65p for up to 30 minutes, to £4 for up to three hours.
Zone two residents would still be able to buy permits for zone three, but a separate consultation into parking permits for zone two – which includes Quay Street, Portland Street, the Northern Quarter and Deansgate – will take place later this year.
Councillor Nigel Murphy, Manchester City Council’s executive member for the environment, said: “We’re hoping to introduce a new system which will be more flexible for people living in the city centre, enabling them to buy a range of permits depending on people’s individual circumstances.
“We think the proposals are a huge improvement on the existing scheme which has become outdated but we look forward to hearing people’s views.”
The City Council webpage about the consultation is here. The form to fill in for comment is here.
