Shrewsbury £1 Sunday parking move aims to boost tourism

The new pricing will be introduced on June 7, say Shrewsbury Business Improvement District and Shropshire Council.

It will apply to all Shropshire Council-run and privately owned car parks in Shrewsbury on Sundays, allowing people to park for £1 all day in long stay car parks and £1 for maximum stay in other short stay car parks.

Kirsten Henly, of Shrewsbury BID, said: "This represents a major step forward in countering the confusion regarding charges and is designed to encourage more visits into the town centre over the full weekend period."

Miss Henly said they had responded to what businesses wanted and would now look to address car parking charges during the week.

She said: "We're delighted to have been able to work with Shropshire Council to successfully secure this long term car parking offer.

"Businesses and visitors said they wanted a simpler, cheaper offer and that's what we have delivered.

"We will now be working to address consistent and user-friendly tariffs across the rest of the week."

Councillor Claire Wild, cabinet member for highways and transport at Shropshire Council said: "This is great news for the traders that reported a really positive increase in footfall and trade following the parking pilots.

"This long term plan provides an opportunity to extend the visiting time for those who want to come into the town centre on Sundays and further improve town centre trading."

Under the new plans it will cost £1 to park on Sundays in town centre car parks, including Abbey Foregate, Raven Meadows Multi Storey, St Julian's Friars, Frankwell Main and The Gap, in addition to the NCP £1 all day Sunday parking offer already in place on Wyle Cop.

It marks the latest step in a long-running campaign to help encourage people into Shrewsbury town centre on Sundays.

Three years ago 92 per cent of 1,000 residents surveyed called for Sunday parking charges to be axed altogether amid despair at the cost of parking going up.

In 2013 on-street parking charges were introduced in Shrewsbury and Ludlow, despite the misgivings of traders.