End of free parking could hit hospitality sector in city

RESTAURANT AND BAR OWNERS CONCERNED CHARGES WILL 'JEOPARDISE' THEIR INDUSTRY

- By DAN HAYGARTH

PEOPLE working in Liverpool's hospitality industry fear that the end of free parking in the city centre after 6pm could "jeopardise" their sector.

Liverpool City Council last week confirmed it will extend its on-street parking charges to 11pm, despite almost 90% of people who responded to a survey saying they were against the amendment.

This means from next month, drivers parking in the city centre will be charged from 7am to 11pm, rather than the current length of 8am to 6pm.

Additionally, 30 minute parking has already increased from £1.20 to £2, while an hour will now cost £4, up from £2.40.

People from the hospitality industry who spoke to the ECHO said the measures could negatively impact trade, discouraging people from travelling into the city centre, and make it harder for their staff to get home after a shift. Last week, the Liverpool BID Company, which represents hundreds of levy-paying firms in the city centre, voiced its concerns about the change and called on the council to u-turn.

Peter Kinsella, 61, founder and chairman of Catalonian deli, restaurant and bar Lunya on Hanover Street, told the ECHO that there is little support for the change to parking rules among the industry.

He said: "All of the city’s hospitality industry open in the evening are very concerned about night-time parking charges from the council. It will only have a negative impact on night-time city centre trade at a time when all governments need to take action urgently to support hospitality.

"The UK hospitality employs 3.5 million people, contributes £214billion to the British economy and already generates £54bn in taxes. Measures such as night-time city centre parking charges will jeopardise this, put people off coming into the city centre and make it more expensive for those of our staff who drive into work at night.