EXCLUSIVE: Councils at present generate over £1 billion yearly from automotive parking however marketing campaign teams are calling for extra assist for companies.
Automotive parking costs proceed to extend throughout the UK (Picture: Getty)
The once-thriving British excessive avenue has been struggling a sluggish loss of life in recent times. A variety of components have contributed to the decline, together with elevated prices and enterprise charges, intense on-line competitors, and decreased shopper spending.
The federal government is about to announce its subsequent Excessive Streets Technique later this 12 months and a marketing campaign group is looking on a deeper give attention to automotive parks. The British Impartial Retailers Affiliation (BIRA) has described automotive parks throughout the UK as a “money cow” and is urging the Labour Get together to do extra to influence council automotive parking costs.
Andrew Goodacre, the CEO of BIRA, tells the Day by day Categorical: “There’s a Excessive Streets Technique popping out from the federal government and it has to incorporate plans to enhance automotive parks and accessibility in cities for automobiles. In the intervening time, it’s nothing greater than a money cow. Each time I’ve seen these methods previously, I’ve by no means seen automotive parking actually come out as a precedence.”
He provides: “It’s nearly forgotten and we have to get individuals to grasp that automotive parking can carry individuals into cities and assist revitalise them. However it may be equally as damaging should you ignore automotive parks and see them as revenue.
“We have to change our mindset if we’re going to realize significant change on this space. I’m calling for a daring plan of motion to recognise that automotive parks can revitalise excessive streets.”
In response to the RAC Basis, councils throughout England generated a £1.1 billion revenue from automotive parking in 2024-25. In the meantime, round 13,000 excessive avenue shops shut in the identical 12 months, averaging between 35 and 37 closures day-after-day.
Though excessive streets are struggling, retail parks are having extra success. In addition to a 32% year-on-year funding progress in UK retail warehouses within the first half of 2025, retail parks are additionally forecasted a Compound Annual Development Charge (CAGR) of two.6% between 2024 and 2029.
Andrew Goodacre is looking on central authorities to do extra to influence council automotive parking costs (Picture: Gov.UK)
“You solely have to have a look at retail parks and the success they’re having,” says Mr Goodacre. “That’s as a result of most of them have three hours of free automotive parking at the least. This makes it accessible to individuals.
“It simply feels mad that native authorities in cities throughout the nation are utilizing automotive parks as a money cow relatively than one thing that may drive and assist companies of their areas survive.”
He provides that BIRA isn’t calling free of charge automotive parking because the group appreciates the necessity for councils to generate money. Nevertheless, they’re encouraging native authorities to contemplate extra modern strategies with the intention to assist their retailers.
Mr Goodacre explains: “We’re not saying it must be free parking altogether, however perhaps for simply half-hour. After which lower costs for longer stays. However the price of automotive parks simply hold rising and rising.
“There appears to be this perception that individuals are glad shopping for on-line so that you don’t want to fret in regards to the excessive avenue. However sadly it is killing native companies.”
Automotive parking is free all through Oakengates (Picture: Google Maps Avenue View)
In Oakengates, Shropshire, the council has launched free parking throughout the city to the advantage of unbiased retailers. Because of this, the market city at present has a 97% store occupancy, which means that simply 3% of the whole obtainable retail models should not rented out or in use by tenants.
That is considerably greater than the nationwide common store occupancy fee of 86% as of mid-2025. Compared, retail parks, which have a tendency to supply free parking for a restricted interval, have common occupancy charges between 92% and 94%.
Mr Goodacre says: “They strongly imagine in Oakengates that the supply of free parking is a part of their success they usually love individuals with the ability to use their excessive avenue and their retailers. It’s an important instance of what will be achieved with free automotive parking.
“This isn’t an space with large infrastructure or large quantities of wealth or funding, so why is it that they’ll maintain a excessive avenue there however not elsewhere? It have to be the free parking.”
There are considerations that elevated parking costs may influence footfall in Cromer (Picture: Getty)
Alternatively, North Norfolk District Council lately confirmed plans to extend parking prices in Cromer, Sheringham and Wells-next-the-Sea. Some automotive parks may see hourly charges rise from £2.10 to £2.20 an hour because the council hopes to generate an additional £150,000 yearly.
There are considerations that the plans may injury tourism and customer numbers to the cities. A report reveals that 119 individuals responded to the session plans, with 54% expressing their worries. It acknowledged: “Responses advised that greater fees discourage guests, shorten stays, and scale back footfall.”
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Tom Ironside, the Director of Enterprise and Regulation on the British Retail Consortium, has echoed the sentiment of Andrew Goodacre at BIRA. He stresses the significance of automotive parking to make sure that British excessive streets stay accessible.
He stated: “The accessibility of city and metropolis centres, together with the provision and worth of parking and public transport, has a huge effect on the footfall and spending in native financial system. By making certain procuring areas stay viable, native councils will help constructing thriving communities and the native, versatile jobs they assist.”
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