Croydon's traders and visitors will benefit from the introduction of 30 minutes' free parking in pay-and-display bays in the borough's district centres from Monday, 29 March. For the third year running, Croydon's Conservative Council is freezing charges for the first two hours' on- and off-street parking in an effort to encourage short-term visits and boost local businesses.
District centres with such bays include South Norwood, Thornton Heath, Purley and Coulsdon. Local centres include Beulah Hill, Cherry Orchard Road, Lower Addiscombe Road, Addiscombe, Brighton Road in South Croydon, and Purley's Old Lodge Lane.
In an effort to get more visitors to central Croydon to park in the under-used Factory Lane car park, it too will see no rise. With a charge of only £4 to leave a car all day, parking in the facility is cheaper than in other town-centre car parks, and only a short walk to the shops.
Charges for parking in on- and off-street pay-and-display bays for more than two hours will increase by about 10% with a view to discouraging parking of longer periods, especially by commuters.
Councillor Phil Thomas, cabinet member for environment and highways, said: "For the third year running we've pulled out all the stops to help our local businesses by freezing the charges that the huge majority of their customers will be paying. About 80% of our customers will benefit as a result.
"We've also responded to requests from traders in our district and local centres by giving shoppers half-an-hour's free parking in our one-hour parking bays. That's got to be good news for everybody.
"We have had to increase the cost of residents' permits, but compared with other local authorities, Croydon offers good value for money. We'll now charge £48 for a year; Kingston charges £60, and residents in Bromley can pay up to £75.
"Although we'd like to see more people using public transport, I think those who do drive to Croydon will see that the council's doing all it can to protect local business while, at the same time, offering shoppers and visitors to the borough a fair deal."
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