Free parking periods in Hartlepool to remain although hourly town centre charges will increase

Hartlepool Borough Council chiefs stated they have faced increased costs linked to running and maintaining parking services in recent years.

Proposals therefore went before the latest meeting of the neighbourhood services committee looking to help the local authority “offset the budget shortfall predicted for this area”.

Councillors refused one of the recommendations from officers, which would have seen the removal of three parking promotions offered in the town.

These included free parking on Sundays at town centre parking sites and free parking on every Saturday in December.

Councillors voted by five votes to two to keep the promotions, along with a third which provides free parking after 3pm at a select number of town centre car parks.

These are the basement, multi-storey and east side car parks near Middleton Grange Shopping Centre.

Tony Hanson, executive director at the council, warned their latest reports show the budget for car parks for the current year has a “just short of £300k overspend”.

He added: “This is an additional pressure placed on the council, hence the reason why the report is here, and we need to find a way to address that budget deficit.”

Councillor Sue Little, chair of the committee, said they will now have to “try and find some more savings” elsewhere in the department, adding it is going to be “a hard year again” for councillors.

Proposals were approved however to increase hourly parking charges at all council-managed town centre parking sites by 10p, which was supported by four votes to three.

Town centre parking tariffs had previously remained unchanged for more than 12 years with no additional inflationary increase applied throughout this period.

The local authority will also reduce the number of different parking tariffs across the town from 12 to eight, to help provide a “simplified” and “less confusing system for motorists”.

Officers said any income generated from the 10p parking charge increase will be used to “help address the council’s current financial position”.

They added it is “difficult to estimate” the additional income due to changes in retail and working habits post Covid-19, but it could be around £40,000.