Glasgow city centre parking charge plans on hold

Plans to extend parking charges in the city centre to 10pm are going back to the drawing board. Glasgow City Council's announced a U-turn after a backlash from motorists and business groups.

The move to start charging for using parking bays in the city centre in the evenings, which are currently free after 6pm, was one of a range ofbudget proposalsintended to save £107m over three years.

Glasgow business leaders expressed concern in an open letter to the city council leader, Susan Aitken.

Thirteen organisations and businesses including the Federation of Small Businesses, the Scottish Hospitality Group, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and Unite Hospitality expressed concerns over the potential repercussions for businesses and hospitality workers.

READ MORE: Business fears about parking charges

"Teetering on the brink"

The letter states: “They have weathered four tumultuous years, grappling with the ramifications of the pandemic, surging inflation, soaring interest rates and persistent operational expenses.

“In particular, businesses in the hospitality and retail sectors are teetering on the brink of collapse.

“Numerous beloved establishments have already sadly closed their doors permanently in recent years.”

A recent survey conducted by FSB and SHG which showed 97 per cent of the respondents across Glasgow fear that the proposed 10 pm parking charges would be detrimental to their business.

Threat to jobs

The letter says evening parking charges would pose a significant threat to hundreds of jobs in bars, restaurants, theatres, and nightclub, with a ripple effect that could jeopardise the livelihoods of people in supply chains.

The letter was signed by:

• Stephen Montgomery, Director & Spokesperson – Scottish Hospitality Group
• Hisashi Kuboyama, Development Manager – Federation of Small Businesses
• Michael Bergson, Director – Buck’s Bar
• Michael Grieve, Chairman – Night Time Industries Association Scotland
• Brian Kelly, Chair – Possilpark Business Improvement District
• Jonny McDonald, Chair – My Shawlands Business Improvement District
• Stuart Patrick CBE, Chief Executive – Glasgow Chamber of Commerce
• Bryan Simpson, Lead Organiser – Unite Hospitality
• Leon Thompson, Executive Director – UK Hospitality Scotland
• Paul Togneri, Senior Advisor – Scottish Beer & Pub Association
• John Turner, Chair – Byres Road & Lanes Business and Improvement District
• Alessandro Varese, Director – Blue Lagoon Fish & Chip Shops LTD
• Colin Wilkinson, Managing Director – Scottish Licensed Trade Association

A spokesman said: “The proposed changes to on-street pay and display hours in parking zones require public consultation and will take time to implement.

“No changes on pay and display hours will take effect until 2025 at the earliest.

“But we have taken on board initial feedback from the city centre hospitality sector and we will review the proposal for the city centre.

“The longstanding approach on parking controls has been to prioritise parking for residents in the city’s 22 parking zones.

“On-street pay and display parking until 10pm is already in place in a number of parking zones and we want to ensure the best possible protection for residential parking.

“Our city centre plans are focused on creating a positive environment for visitors and a growing residential population.

“A significant majority of people already use sustainable transport to access the city centre and this is something we want to build upon.

“But we want to get the balance right for those who rely on private vehicles to come into the city centre and also the promotion of

Glasgow’s evening economy as we work to support city centre regeneration and recovery.

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