Parking charge changes are on way

Charges at council car parks in the Black Country are being reviewed after the Government scrapped guidelines advising higher rates to be imposed.

Local authorities will now be able to price parking spaces competitively to attract drivers into town centres.

Councils have until now been required to set parking fees in a way that encourages alternative forms of transport.

Wolverhampton's cabinet member for transport, Councillor Peter Bilson, said today the announcement did not mean there would be free parking across the city.

"It's a difficult situation as central Government is telling councils to reduce budgets by 28 per cent by 2014," he said.

"At this stage it is too early to say what will happen to parking charges and the council will have to meet this month to discuss the issue."

Sandwell's cabinet member for safer neighbourhoods, Councillor Derek Rowley, said parking charges in the local authority were already the lowest in the West Midlands.

"We can't go any lower," he said.

"We are not raising car parking charges at all this year at car parks.

"Ours are on average 52 per cent lower than anywhere else in the Black Country, and we don't charge for Sunday parking."

Walsall transport boss Councillor Tom Ansell said: "Our parking charges will be reviewed again this year. Wherever possible, we will look to reduce prices."

Walsall Council is now getting ready to bring in pay-by-phone parking in a bid to get more shoppers into town centres.

Visitors to Walsall Council pay and display car parks will be able to use debit and credit cards.

Wolverhampton City Council said it is also looking into bringing the technology to its own car parks in the future.

It comes after motorists in the Black Country were hit by several parking fee rises. In Dudley, charges were last increased in 2009.