South Gloucestershire Labour Group Leader Ian Boulton has addressed moves to introduce car parking charges on BBC Radio Bristol this morning.

Speaking to presenter Joe Sims, Ian said introducing charges to Council-owned off-street parking was not something they wanted to do in an ideal world, but something they have to do in order to be fiscally responsible, balance the books, and ensure vital services which help our most vulnerable residents remain protected.

Ian also said some businesses can see positives in the move, because it will increase turnover or “churn”, with more people staying for short periods to do their shopping, rather than parking all day for free (for work commuting purposes or otherwise) but not actually spending any money on the high street.

There will also be some free parking. 10% of spaces in Council-owned car parks will allow residents to park for free for half an hour.

Ian also highlighted that the previous Conservative administration set a £1m income generation target for 2024/25 in its final budget in February 2023 (found on page 113, row XC9), rising to £2m per annum in subsequent years.

Only after a successful local election in May 2023, when Labour entered a partnership with the Liberal Democrats and took office, did it become clear that this income generation target was based predominantly on introducing some form of parking charges.

Have a listen below to the best bits of Ian Boulton’s interview with Joe Sims on BBC Radio Bristol this morning. For the full interview, visit BBC Sounds and listen just after 8am.

Enjoy!