MORE motorists are using car parks in Staple Hill and Mangotsfield since South Gloucestershire Council made the first half hour of parking free.
But a traders’ group says the change has made little difference to business.
The council introduced free half-hour stays on June 29 for all spaces in the four Staple Hill car parks where it charges – Byron Place, Haynes Lane and two in Page Road – as well as the St James Street car park in Mangotsfield.
Figures released to the Voice show the number of recorded stays in July was up in all five car parks compared with July last year, while takings were down in all but one.
In Byron Place, opposite Tesco, there were 470 free half-hour stays and 1,223 paid stays this July – a total of 1,693. That compared with 1,303 last July.
The council made £1,372 from charges in July – down from £3,008 last year.
At the main Page Road car park, next to Soundwell Road, there were 2,115 stays, (586 free, 1,529 paid) and the council made £2,089. Last year it made £2,545 from 2,000 stays in July.
At Page Road/Kendall Road, there were 1,926 stays (485 free, 1,441 paid) and the council made £2,283. That compares with 1,917 last July, costing drivers £4,944.
In Haynes Lane, off Pendennis Road, there were 467 visits (88 free, 379 paid) making the council £782.40. Last July, 311 drivers paid £1,028 to park.
In St James Street, there were 1,123 visits (289 free, 834 paid), compared with 895 last July. It was the only local car park where council takings this July were higher, up from £1,386.70 to £1,505.10.
When charges were introduced in May last year Byron Place, Haynes Lane and the Page Road/Kendall Road car park were long stay-only, with a minimum £3 charge and no free spaces.
The main Page Road car park was short stay-only, and St James Street had a mix of short and long stay places. Both had a small number of free 30-minute spaces, and the figures don’t show how many drivers used those spaces free, as they didn’t have to use the ticket machine to record free stays until this year.
A council spokesperson said: “It is good to see that these improvements have had a positive impact. The increase in use of the car parks will help support South Gloucestershire’s high streets and local businesses.”
But Staple Hill Chamber of Trade chair George Georgiou said the change had made “no difference at all” to traders.
He said: “We’ve seen zero change in footfall or trade so far.
“Half an hour isn’t enough for people to park, visit more than one shop and a cafe – it needs to be at least an hour. On the High Street spaces they’ve got two hours.”