Changes ahead for parking in Winchester
Increased park-and-ride, dedicated spaces for ultra low-emission vehicles, use of new technology and differential pricing will be part of Winchester’s future approach to parking following Cabinet’s approval of an updated strategy.
The Council has already started to implement the measures. The Traffic and Parking Committee agreed (4 January) to revise parking charges in the city to increase the difference in price between city centre car parks and those further out, while freezing prices of park-and-ride tickets to encourage drivers to use the car parks most suited to their visit. The aim is for people making longer visits to park outside the centre.
Cllr Jan Warwick, Portfolio Holder for Environment, said:
There is broad support for Winchester’s Parking Strategy adopted in 2014 which strives to deliver affordable town centre parking to support the local economy, without prejudicing environmental and health objectives.
This ‘mid-term review’ gives us the opportunity to take further steps to deliver the aims of the Strategy.
Key aspects of the refreshed Strategy include:
• City centre spaces as an element of the Central Winchester Regeneration Supplementary Planning Document to ensure that sufficient parking is provided to support the town centre
• A proportion of new spaces provided in the centre reserved for ultra low-emission vehicles (ULEVs) to encourage those which have least environmental impact
• Priority for development of technology to give drivers information that helps them find the most appropriate parking space
• Increased parking charges in the centre with reductions elsewhere to create a bigger difference that encourages long-term parking away from the centre
• Extra ULEV spaces and improved technology to make better use of parking
• A comprehensive review of car park signing to encourage drivers to make smart choices and use the first car park that meets their needs
• Evaluate emerging technologies that allow for better use of spaces
• Look at the business case for new park-and-ride facilities on the north side of the city as part of the Winchester Movement Study by Hampshire County Council and the City Council
• Investigate the cost of additional buses to support existing park-and-ride
• No changes to car park charges in market towns but keep under review