New parking scheme will 'make it easier to find a space' for Manchester city centre residents

By Melanie Hughes

Manchester city centre residents may finally have it easier to find a parking space near their homes as a new scheme goes out to consultation, following a year long council campaign.

The scheme, which will replace the existing provision deemed inadequate, was designed following focus groups with city centre residents.

They are hopeful of getting and new parking scheme after a 12-month campaign by local Labour councillor Kevin Peel.

Long-standing city centre resident and local campaigner Joan Davies, who has been actively involved in the campaign, said: “The new scheme we successfully fought for is easier to join, more flexible and better value for money.” 

The city centre team started the campaign for a better parking scheme to ensure that city centre residents were not affected by changes to parking charges in the city centre following the Government cuts of £178m to the council’s budget. 

Long-standing city centre resident and local campaigner Joan Davies, who has been actively involved in the campaign, said: “The new scheme we successfully fought for is easier to join, more flexible and better value for money.” 

The consultation will last for one month and will open this week and the timing could not be better coming just a couple of days after Manchester was named as the country’s most congested city.

Research has shown that Mancunian driver’s average just 13.3mph in the rush hour each day on their way to work. 

Birmingham was the next slowest followed by Bradford then London.

The new city centre residents parking scheme would be:

 • Easier to join, with less restrictions on who can purchase permits 

 • More flexible, with the ability to purchase a permit for a cheaper zone and different times 7

 • Better value for money , with a range of different options and ways to pay for your permit