Dudley Council reveals timeline for end of free parking amid fears for town centre trade

The council intends to introduce charges in October this year for the first two hours in its car parks and increase existing costs for longer periods.

A report for the council’s Environment and Regeneration Committee predicts the changes will lead to a 50 per cent drop in tickets that were previously free and 40 per cent less take-up of three- and four-hour tickets as well as all-day tickets.

The plan left Stourbridge’s new MP, Cat Eccles ‘shocked’ - on X (formerly Twitter) she posted: "This would be terrible for our town centres and local traders.

“Along with @_SoniaKumar and @AlexBallinger_ I’ve written to the leader of Dudley Council urging them to reconsider.”

Under the plan, an hour’s parking will cost £2, two hours would be £2.50, three hours would go up to £3, four hours would become £4 and an all-day ticket would cost £6.

The increases would bring Dudley in line with most other councils which already charge for all parking.

In West Midlands Combined Authority councils, Wolverhampton currently charges between 70p and £3.50 for an hour depending on the location of the car park while Solihull tops the chart for longer stays – four hours can cost up to £5.50.

The report for the committee said: “As an authority, our primary objective is to encourage motorists to park outside the town centres – or use other forms of transport – reducing the number of vehicles entering the town centres, helping to increase the number of spaces available for those who need them.

“Our 57 car parks have not kept pace with maintenance requirements such as surfacing, lining, signing, drainage, boundaries, green assets, and cleaning.

“This needs investment and further review.”

The changes, which are part of the council’s financial plan for the next three years, would mean extra cash for the council, are expected to bring in £978,800 in the current financial year and £1.9m in the first full year starting in 2025.

Committee members at their meeting on Wednesday, July 24, will be asked to give permission for the council’s director of environment to begin the legal process of introducing the charges.