TICKET machines have been installed in council-run car parks as new parking charges come into force.
The new charges took effect at two car parks in the Fishponds area, Beechwood Road and Stoke View, along with seven others across the city from Monday, October 5.
They are being introduced as the council prepares to launch consultations on workplace parking charges and more residents’ parking schemes.
The Beechwood Road car park, with 96 spaces, is close to the busiest part of Fishponds Road and in walking distance of dozens of shops, cafes, pubs and other businesses, as well as two surgeries at the Fishponds Medical Centre, the Beechwood Club and Fishponds Park.
The biggest alternative car parks nearby are run by supermarkets and other private businesses, with restrictions on use by non-customers.
Stoke View Road, behind Fishponds Road near the McDonald’s drive-thru, has 40 spaces and the same time restrictions as Beechwood Road.
Parking for the first hour will remain free under the new regime but then motorists will have to pay £1.50 an hour for up to two hours, £3 for up to three hours and £4.50 for up to four hours – the maximum stay allowed.
Blue badge holders will be exempt from paying the new charges.
The charges were initially proposed by the former Labour administration in 2023 but were deferred by a year in a budget deal with the Conservatives, who have always opposed the plans.
Proposals were resurrected in 2024 and rejected, before being backed by the council’s transport and connectivity policy committee with the condition that one hour of free parking would be available.
Businesses and medical centres can apply for a dedicated space at £280 a year.
Councillor Ed Plowden, the chair of the council’s transport and connectivity committee, said: “The aim is straightforward – making sure spaces are available for the people who need them, rather than being occupied all day by long-stay parking.
“A four-hour maximum stay will help create a better turnover of spaces, making it easier for shoppers, visitors and people accessing local services to find somewhere to park.
“This isn’t just about parking. It’s about helping local high streets thrive and making sure valuable parking spaces are being used in a way that benefits the surrounding community.”
Cllr Plowden said the council was also rolling out a new “simplified” pay and display regime in the city centre and planning to consult on proposals for a workplace parking charge and more residents’ parking schemes.
He said: “We’ll be bringing forward proposals in the south soon, followed by areas in the north and east of the city.”