Members of the City Council’s Cabinet last night approved proposals to scrap evening charges at Fold Street, School Street, Market, Peel Street and Church Lane car parks in Wolverhampton city centre.

Motorists will be able to park for free from 5:30pm onwards at five council-run car parks in Wolverhampton city centre from next week. (Evening charges are currently £2 per visit).

According to a Which? survey, parking in Wolverhampton is already among the cheapest of the 20 major UK cities with a total of 1,354 free parking spaces available to motorists visiting the city at night.

Councillor Roger Lawrence, Leader of Wolverhampton City Council, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer evening visitors to Wolverhampton free parking at five of our main car parks in the city centre.

“We know that people are finding the current economic climate very difficult and Members agreed that we should be doing anything we can to support businesses in the city centre and help their customers to enjoy a great value night out in Wolverhampton.

“Meanwhile, we hope that allowing free parking at Fold Street on Saturdays December 10, 17, 24 and 31 will help both shoppers and traders over the Christmas period, which is clearly a very expensive time of year.”

Source: Wolverhampton City Council
Image: J Mark Dodds used under Creative Commons license.

Or maybe you’re a parent who thinks that schools should have more parking provisions and make it easier for those who need to travel by car to park nearby?

A Northumberland school has threatened pupils with expulsion if parents continue to break parking rules around the school – perhaps this idea should be adopted in Wednesfield?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments and vote in our poll…

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A storm is brewing as Wolverhampton City Council plan to increase the double yellow lines on roads near New Cross Hospital in an attempt to stop visitors from parking on the roadside.

Council bosses are about to begin a consultation on extending the double yellow lines in order to ‘fill in the gaps’ along Wolverhampton Road.

Tim Clark, spokesman for Wolverhampton City Council, said: “There is a proposal to put double yellow lines along Wolverhampton Road between its junctions with New Cross Avenue and Graiseley Lane.”

“There are already some lines there, but this would fill in the gaps. This would alleviate the problems with vehicles parking on both sides of the road which causes congestion and accidents on what is a busy stretch.”

Councillor Milkinder Jaspal, who represents Heath Town, said: “This must be welcomed – when the consultation starts it is important people have their say. When cars park up in Wolverhampton not only is it not fair on those who pay to park on site, it narrows the road and causes congestion.”

But judging by the comments left on the Express & Star’s website, both local residents who live in streets nearby and fear cars will be parked outside their homes and visitors to the hospital, who are unhappy at having to pay parking charges ranging from £2 to £5 are against the plans.

Have your say in the comments below…

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