Parking charge increases on the way in Newcastle
The cost of car parking in more than 170 locations around Newcastle is set to jump next month.
City bosses have confirmed plans to increase hourly pay and display tariffs at every council-owned parking spot in Newcastle, in the hope of cutting congestion and air pollution.
The move is expected to generate more than £1m extra per year for the cash-strapped local authority, which last week signed off on budget cuts of £23m.
All hourly parking rates will increase by either 20p or 30p, while car parks that offer a fixed daily fee will see that increased by £1 – including busy city centre multi-storeys like Dean Street and the Quayside.
The only exception is at Kingston Park Metro station, where the current flat £1.40-per-day rate is being cut to £1 in a bid to encourage people to use public transport to get into the city centre rather than their cars.
The council said that the price hike, due to be implemented in April, is aimed at “balancing demand, alleviating congestion in and around the higher demand car parks, and afford more priority to sustainable and active travel”.
Last week, the Labour-run authority rejected calls from the city’s Liberal Democrats to reinstate free parking for disabled blue badge holders in council car parks – an offer that was controversially scrapped in 2021.
Ahead of the recent launch of the city’s new Clean Air Zone, which it is hoped will cut illegal levels of pollution in emissions hotspots in the city centre, the council also scaled back its free evening parking offer in the city centre – which is now only available after 7pm, rather than 5pm.
Labour councillor Jane Byrne, the council’s cabinet member responsible for transport, said: “We review our parking charges on an annual basis so that we can manage demand for spaces and reduce congestion and pollution on our roads.
“In car parks and at on-street bays with an hourly rate, we are planning to introduce an increase of either 20p or 30p an hour, depending on location, from April 2023.
“Daily parking fees at the Eldon Garden, Grainger Town, Manors and Quayside multi-storey car parks will also increase by £1.
“These changes are aimed at managing demand and traffic flows, particularly around our busier city centre car parks that are within the Clean Air Zone, by encouraging people to switch to alternative modes of travel or choose less expensive car parks, which are outside of the CAZ, if parking for a full day. This will support and contribute towards the improvements in our air quality that the CAZ is designed to achieve.
“Our charges compare favourably with those of private operators in the city centre and blue badge holders who use our car parks will continue to receive one hour of free parking. All on-street pay and display parking will remain free for blue badge holders in line with national legislation.
“We are currently facing higher costs of delivering parking services and the additional income from these changes will enable us to continue to provide safe and maintained car parking facilities in the city for residents and businesses. Any remaining money will be reinvested in our highways network.”
Here are the new hourly parking rates at all 172 locations affected by the changes:
Off-street car parks
Dean Street MSCP – £2.10
Eldon Garden MSCP – £2.40 (£12 all day)
Eldon Square MSCP – £2.70
Grainger Town MSCP – £1.50 (£10 all day)
Manors MSCP – £1.40 (£10 all day)
Oxford Street MSCP – £1.90
Quayside MSCP – £1.40 (£10 all day)
Stadium MSCP – £1.20
Akenside Hill – £1.90
Argyle Street – £1.30
Blandford Square – £1.50
Blandford Street East – £1.50
Civic Centre – £1.90
Claremont Road – £1.80
Close Swing Bridge – £1.80
Coach Lane – £0.60
College Street – £2.10
Cross Villa Place No. 4 – £1
Ellison Place – £2.10
Forth Banks – £1.10
Friars – £1.80
Gosforth Pool and Library – £0.50
Hancock Street – £1.60
Heywood Court – £2
Kingston Park Metro – £1 all day
Leazes Park Road – £1.90
McPhees – £0.70
Melbourne Court West – £0.80
Merchant House – £1.60
Morden Street – £2.50
Ord Street – £0.90
Osbourne Terrace – £0.80
Painters Heugh – £2.10
Pottery Lane – £0.80
Salters Road – £0.60
Sandyford Square – £1.90
Saville Place – £2
Shieldfield House – £0.70
Spillers – £0.60
St Georges – £1.30
St Mary’s Place – £1.60
St Nicholas Avenue – £0.60
Stepney Road – £0.70
Stoddart House – £0.70
Terrace Place South – £1.90
On-street parking
Akenside Hill – £1.80
Archibald Street – £0.50
Barrack Road Service Road – £1.30
Bath Lane – £1.50
Benton Bank – £0.70
Benton Bank parking area – £0.70
Blackfriars Court – £1.50
Blandford Square – £1.30
Brandling Park – £0.80
Brentwood Avenue – £0.80
Broad Chare – £1.50
Buckingham St – £0.90
Burdon Terrace – £0.80
Carliol Square – £1.80
Castle Farm Road – £0.70
Castle Garth – £1.70
Charlotte Sq – £1.50
Chester / Bryon Street – £1.10
City Road – £1.20
Claremont Road lower – £1.30
Claremont Road upper – £0.80
Clavering Arch – £1.70
Clayton Street – £1.80
Clayton Street West – £1.70
College Street – £1.80
Collingwood Street – £2.20
Croft Street – £1.70
Cross Street – £1.50
Dean Street – £2.40
Devonshire Terrace – £1.30
Diana Street – £0.90
Douglas Terrace – £0.90
Durant Road North and South – £1.80
Elmfield Road – £0.50
Elsdon Road – £0.60
Eskdale Terrace – £0.80
Eslington Road – £0.80
Eslington Terrace North – £0.70
Falconar Street – £1.10
Fenkle Street – £1.70
Forth Banks – £1.30
Forth Street – £1.30
Foundry Lane – £0.60
Friars Street – £1.60
Gibson Street – £0.80
Groat Market – £2.40
Hancock Street – £1.60
Heath Court – £1.00
Hedley Street – £0.60
Henry Street – £0.60
High Bridge Square – £2.80
Higham Place – £1.70
Hood Street – £2.90
Horatio Street – £0.70
Howard Street – £0.80
Hunters Road – £0.80
Jesmond Road West – £1.50
Kensington Terrace – £1.40
King Street – £1.70
Lambton Road – £0.80
Leazes Crescent – £1.70
Leazes Park Road – £1.70
Leazes Terrace – £1.70
Library Service Area – £2.80
Lime Street – £0.60
Lombard Street – £1.60
Lyndhurst Avenue – £0.50
Manor Chare – £1.30
Maple Terrace – £0.70
Market Street east – £1.70
Market Street west – £2.00
Malborough Crescent – £1.40
Melbourne Street – £1.00
New Bridge Street – £1.10
North Street – £2.80
Northumberland Road – £1.80
Nun Street – £2.70
Ord Street – £1.00
Osbourne Avenue – £0.80
Orchard Street – £1.30
Ouse Street – £0.60
Park Terrace – £1.30
Pitt Street lower – £1.00
Pitt Street upper – £1.00
Portland Road – £0.90
Pottery Lane – £0.70
Pudding Chare – £2.80
Quayside – £1.40
Quayside West -£1.60
Queens Road – £0.70
Queen Street – £1.70
Regent Road – £0.50
Regent Avenue – £0.50
Richardson Road lower – £1.60
Richardson Road upper – £1.50
Rutherford Street – £1.50
Rye Hill – £0.70
Sandyford Road – £1.70
Scotswood Road – £1.20
Shakespeare Street – £2.90
Sheraton Street – £0.90
Shield Street – £1
The Side – £2
Spring Street – £1
St Andrews Street Lower – £1.70
St Andrews Street Upper – £1.70
St James Street – £1.70
St John Street – £2.40
St Nicholas Avenue – £0.50
St Nicholas Street – £2.10
Stowell Street 1 – £1.50
Stowell Street 2 – £1.50
St Thomas Street – £1.70
Stepney Bank – £0.60
Tankerville Terrace – £0.80
Terrace Place – £1.80
Thomas Bewick Square (4th lane) – £1.60
Watergate – £1.40
Waterloo Street – £1.90
Wellington Street – £0.90
West Avenue – £0.50
Westgate Hill – £1.00
Westgate Road 1 – £1.50
Westgate Road 2 – £1.60
Westgate Road 3 – £1.80
Windsor Terrace – £1.40
Warwick Street – £0.60