Car park charges frozen for a year

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council is proposing to freeze the car park charges at current levels to boost the town centre economy.

At the same time the popular ‘£1 after 1pm’ deal will stay in place – allowing shoppers to park and stay all afternoon for just £1 on town centre surface car parks, while four free short stay places have been created on the High Street.

Simon Tagg, Leader of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, said:

Residents tell us regularly that one of their priorities is having a strong town centre, busy day and night, and we will do all we can to support shops, businesses, bars and restaurants.
 

Car park charges have been kept as low as possible for several years, and by freezing them now, we hope shoppers and visitors will continue to take advantage of all Newcastle has to offer.”

At the same time the council is also proposing a freeze in fees for tennis, bowls, football and rugby court and pitch hire for 2026/27.

Funding for the charges freeze is being allocated from the Civic Growth Fund.

Simon Tagg said:

Promoting participation in sport and increasing use of our town centre is part and parcel of our Civic Pride initiative.
 

I know some people will say that town centre car parks should be free. However, what many people don’t realise is that the council pays £167,000 business rates a year to the Government for simply having its car parks – and that’s before we spend a penny on their repair, maintenance and upkeep.”

The Council has already agreed that the authority write to Chancellor Rachel Reeves calling for business rate relief be extended from pubs to all hospitality and High Street businesses.

Now it intends to ask the Chancellor to include rate relief for car parks to be in that review, and to lobby the town’s MP for his support on the issue.