Changes to parking proposed for Middlesbrough town centre

Key improvements in car parking are being proposed as part of the ongoing Middlesbrough city-scale development aspirations.

An independent review has recently been carried out on Middlesbrough Council’s parking offer looking at both strategic issues and operational effectiveness of the current offer which has led to a series of recommendations.

Proposals are being made that would see the two-hour free parking offer for shoppers retained at Captain Cook Square and removed from commuter car parks Zetland and Station Street.

The Zetland would also see investment on ‘Pay on Exit’ facilities following consultation with businesses, while some increases on charging of 20p and 40p would be made across the city centre car parks.

Additionally, parking restrictions will be put in place in Middlehaven and Gresham in anticipation of major city centre developments commencing work.

Cllr Lewis Young, Middlesbrough Council’s Executive Member for Economic Development and Infrastructure, said: “We are making these proposals now because we need to make sure our parking offer is fit for purpose for the city-scale developments we are seeing in Middlesbrough.

“To continue to grow our economy and bring jobs and investment into Middlesbrough it is vital we retain our two-hour free parking offer for shoppers – which has always proved massively popular – while also looking at the bigger picture for transport.

“With major developments such as the Centre Square offices, Tees Advanced Manufacturing Park and the snow centre all moving forward, we need our infrastructure in place to play its part.

“We have new and additional train services in the pipeline for Middlesbrough Rail Station, servicing commuters on the Whitby line through south Middlesbrough, and also direct to London services on their way.

“We are proposing the introduction of bus franchising across Tees Valley which would allow the five boroughs and the Combined Authority to set out the routes and the fares we want instead which could change the face of public transport on Teesside.

“Our parking offer has to fit in with that and we need to make sure those who wish to travel by car into Middlesbrough’s city centre are given the most efficient service possible.”

The car parking review will be considered by Middlesbrough Council’s Executive on Tuesday, June 12