Street parking charges could be on way to Stafford and Cannock
Street parking charges could be introduced in town centres as part of a move to raise up to £200,000 a year.
Staffordshire County Council wants to make the changes as part of proposals to close a £35 million shortfall in its budget for next year.
The charges could be introduced in the likes of Stafford, Cannock and Hednesford, where there are currently no on-street charges. Fees do exist in Burton and Newcastle.
This proposal is one being considered by the council to help bridge a shortfall, partly caused by the increasing costs of care.
Helen Fisher, cabinet member for highways and transport, said the charges would be for short-stay. The local authority has not revealed the roads being looked at.
The proposal is part of the budget plan for 2019/20, which will go before councillors for a decision in February.
Councillor Fisher said: “We are exploring the option of more on-street charging for short-stay.
“These are actually popular with local towns as they encourage better turnover close to shops, rather than people parking all day, better availability of space and lowers enforcement costs
“There will be flexibility place by place and it can be tweaked. For example, we can make it cheaper or free later in the day.”
The charges – and bus lane enforcement – would generate £200,000, according to budget papers published last week.
In Burton, street parking costs up to £8 for up to 12 hours and in Newcastle, £5.20 for up to eight hours. There are bus lane cameras on the i54 business park, but another camera will be introduced on South Walls in Stafford.
