Parking charges halved and Sundays offered free in new plan

Car park provider NCP has reduced charges for all 570 spaces at the shopping centre car park in a move that has been hailed as a 'fantastic' news for Wolverhampton shoppers.

It will now cost £3.50 to park all day at the shopping centre, down from £8.10, and an early bird rate, which allows for 12 hours parking if people arrive between 6.30am and 9.30am, is now £3, down from £3.50.

Opening hours have been extended by 30 minutes, with the building now closing at 10pm.

There will also be free parking at the centre every Sunday for the rest of October.

Are you more likely to use the Wulfrun Centre as a result of lower parking charges? Have your say in the comments below.

Car park provider NCP and city centre partnership organisation WV One hope the move will boost shopper numbers and are in discussion about reviewing charges in the city.

Susan Winmill, cluster manager at NCP, said: "These are significant price reductions, which we hope will add to our city's continual improvement.

"Alongside WV One, we have been reviewing parking across Wolverhampton and are making many decisions to help support people visiting the centre and employees."

Kim Gilmour, operations director at WV One, said the cut to parking costs would encourage more people back into the city centre.

She said: "Parking charges are always an emotive subject but NCP has responded with some well thought out offers and I am confident that the public will take advantage of them in the months leading up to Christmas.

"We look forward to working with NCP in the future on more ways to attract shoppers and visitors and to reduce the cost of parking for those that work in the city centre."

Normal parking charges on Sundays range from 60p for an hour to £4 for four hours.

Charges have also been introduced for Bank Holidays, while some car parks that were free to use after 5pm now charge £1.

Sunday parking charges were introduced as the city council battles to save £123 million over the next five years.

It was recently revealed that an extra 14 spaces would be created in Temple Street car park after planning chiefs have the green light for two derelict buildings to be demolished.