A freeze on car parking prices in Ipswich due to be extended

It's hoped the move will benefit town centre retailers.

Author: Abi SimpsonPublished 9th Jun 2021

It's hoped proposals to extend the car parking prices freeze in Ipswich for another 12 months would benefit town centre retailers in their recovery from Covid-19.

The Borough Council wants prices for parking to stay as they are for another 12 months.

It says despite the move impacting its revenue, other cost saving measures introduced last year have meant that the council is able to fund this proposal, to try and attract visitors back to the town.

If agreed, the price of parking at the Council's long-stay car parks will remain at £1 an hour, with parking at short-stay car parks staying at £1.30 an hour.

Councillor Martin Cook, Portfolio Holder for Resources at Ipswich Borough Council, says: "2020/21 has been hugely challenging financially and we made some really tough decisions in 2020/21 to ensure that the Council maintained its financial position.

"Those tough decisions have paid off and - although the financial climate caused by Covid is still challenging - we are now in a position where we confirm that it is our intention to support the town centre economy by freezing our car park prices for the next year.

"This means, as an example of our prices, that the hourly rate in our main short stay car parks will remain at £1.30 an hour (with a special offer of £1 for the first hour at Crown) - this is nearly 20% less than the £1.70 an hour that was being charged a decade ago when we first took control of the Council."

A final decision will be made by the Council's Executive on the 15th June.

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