Liverpool councillors will meet this evening to review city centre car parking changes.
Free parking after 6pm could be brought to an end as they suggest extending the charging period to 7am to 11pm daily.
This charge is part of a broader review of parking, aiming to reduce congestion and increase revenue. The decision has been met with resistance.
Some businesses have expressed concerns about the impact on employees and customers who may need to park later in the evening.
Holly Cook from Painted Ladies Tattoo studio said: “Already the parking is problematic on this street because its businesses that need longer and later parking times. I don’t know how that’s going to affect the local theatres because we’ve got this whole street full of theatres that all rely on that after 6pm clause.”
Annie Steward from Arts Bar said: “I think it’s a shame that they’ll be changing the parking restrictions. I think we rely on it a lot as a business here and I know a lot of our customers park on Hope Street.”
This decision follows a broader move by the council to increase parking charges across the city.
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the extension of paid hours is intended to free up more parking for residents and business permit holders.
With a £29 million budget gap to fill, driven in part by rising costs in social care and homelessness, the council is reviewing its financial plans for the new financial year that began this April.
City car parks and on-street parking will become more expensive, with average on-street parking fees increasing by 60%. For example, a four-hour stay in the city centre will rise from £6 to £9.60.
Councillor Ruth Bennett, deputy leader and finance cabinet member, said the current parking policy is not aligned with practices in other major UK cities.
