Car park charges in Lancaster raise £1.2m in 2015

Its off street car parks had 1.2m visits during the same period, new figures show.

A recent improvement programme has seen the resurfacing of many car parks in the district including Moor Lane Mills, Dallas Road, the Auction Mart and Pedder Street.

Coun James Leyshon, cabinet member with responsibility for parking, said that the level of car parking charges was a “tricky balancing act”, but that the high number of visits suggests the cost does not deter people.

The current cost for off street car parking charges in Lancaster is £1.40 per hour, £2.40 for two hours, £2.80 for three hours, £3.50 for four hours and £8 for 10 hours.

He said: “Effective management of off street car parking is important both in terms of ensuring people who visit by car have somewhere to park and helping to manage traffic.

“Deciding what level to set any of our charges is a tricky balancing act and if they are too high then spaces will be underused but, conversely, if they are too low demand for spaces will increase to a level which makes them more difficult to find and increases congestion. Charges also need to reflect the needs of shoppers, workers and local businesses, with a mix of both short stay and long stay.

“Every year we consult the local chambers of commerce and other interested parties about our car parking policies and charges so there is the opportunity to input into the decision making process and their views are always taken into account.

“Our charges are comparable with other local authority areas and, in many cases, lower than other towns. Last year our car parks had 1.2 million visits, which would suggest that the cost of parking does not affect their decision to visit our district.”

A new “Ringgo” system also allows people to pay via their mobile phone and that council said it is also planning to introduce electric car charging points in some of its parks.