New changes at car parks in Cheshire East will go live from Monday 2 December.

Motorists are encouraged to take note of the following changes to Cheshire East Council car parks as of this date.

These include parking charges coming into effect at most council-owned car parks where parking is currently free.

In addition to this, most car parks will become 'cash-free', meaning payment will be by debit or credit card at pay and display machines, or via the RingGo app. However, at least one car park in every town in Cheshire East will continue to accept cash payments. 

Car parks that will still accept cash payments include South Street in Alderley Edge, School Road in Handforth and South Drive in Wilmslow.

In addition, the council's residents off-street parking permit scheme has been extended to cover more areas, including Handforth and Alderley Edge.

The scheme allows residents that don't have access to off-street parking to apply for a 12-month permit for specific car parks, at a significantly reduced cost. 

Residents who rely on parking in a council car park can check if they are eligible for a permit.

Councillor Mark Goldsmith, chair of Cheshire East Council's highways and transport committee, said: "While we recognise these new parking arrangements have caused some concerns, they are necessary to ensure all our towns are treated in a fair and equal way, and to reduce some of the financial burden facing the council.

"Each year, the cost of maintenance, management, and enforcement for all our car parks is considerable, and the costs continue to rise. 

"The council, for example, pays in the region of £900,000 a year in business rates for its car parks, but 70 per cent of this is retained by central government. Therefore, it is only fair that each parking site contributes to these expenses. 

"These changes to parking will also provide financial support to other council services, such as highways maintenance and bus routes. They also complement the council-wide transformation of how we deliver all our services, as we work to reduce spending by £100m over the next four years." 

Cllr Goldsmith added: "Once the changes have come into effect, we will continue to monitor the situation closely across the borough so that interventions can be made where necessary.

"The extended consultation process carried out last year identified some residents that are without a driveway and also live on roads that have extensive parking restrictions. These residents have instead been using nearby free council car parks to park their vehicles.

"To address this issue, we have reviewed and extended our off-street parking permit scheme so that it applies to many more residential areas across the borough. I encourage those now eligible to find out more and consider applying."

The council's 'free after 3pm' initiative is still in place and has been extended to specific car parks in towns where charges are now being introduced. 

The following car parks are free after 3pm: Broadway Meadow in Wilmslow, South Street in Alderley Edge and School Road in Handforth.

Free parking will also remain at a number of smaller car parks in the borough where it is not value for money to introduce pay and display.  

During term time, charges for some car parks will not start until 9am during the week to allow these to be used at school drop off. 

The permit scheme for residents (two permits are available per property and cost £80 for the first permit and £95 for the second permit) is being extended to cover more areas including Handforth and Alderley Edge.

More information about the scheme and how to apply can be found HERE.

The council says it recognises the potential of cars being displaced from car parks onto residential streets because of new charges being introduced.

On a town-by-town basis, a set of potential mitigation measures has been prioritised, which take into account feedback given through the public consultation held last year. 

Any mitigation measures will be subject to further consultation with residents and councillors before they are introduced and could include parking zones or bays for residents, time-limited parking bays, or introducing single or double yellow lines. 

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