Updates to the car park charging scheme in South Gloucestershire will come into effect on Monday 29 June. Signage in the car parks, payment machines and the MiPermit app, will all be updated.
The most significant change that car park users will be able to take advantage of is that all spaces will permit drivers to park for up to 30 minutes for free. Previously this was in use for only a proportion of spaces that were specially marked.
The change is among a number of measures that will make the scheme easier to use and promote the use of local High Streets, and have been developed following constructive discussions with local stakeholders, including Chambers of Commerce, Town and Parish Councils as well as individual traders and residents.
The tariffs will also be made simpler, based on a years’ worth of practical experience and user feedback, making the car parks themselves easier to navigate and use, and giving drivers more flexibility.
Since being introduced in May 2025, the scheme has brought in more than £750,000 in funds for the council, which has helped to maintain vital services.
The changes, in detail, will mean that:
- The up to 30 minutes of free parking will apply in all bays, not just those previously marked. The changes do not affect disabled blue badge holders who will continue to be able to park for free for up to four hours.
- All drivers will be required to register their vehicle either at the machine or via the app, even if they only intend to park for a 30-minute free stay.
- Drivers will be able to extend their stay at the machine, or by using the app so they do not have to return to the car park. If they do so, the first hour from when they arrived will be charged at 80p under the new tariff, which was agreed as part of this year’s Council budget in February. Expanding the number of free spaces and giving drivers the chance to easily extend their stay is a change that local traders and businesses were particularly keen to see.
- All car parks where both long and short stay rates and spaces have been in place, will move to a simpler, single tariff.
- Car parks which were previously designated as long stay only, such as Boultons Road in Kingswood and Kennedy Way in Yate, will allow shorter stays.
- Most short stay car parks will allow drivers to park for longer than before, except at Bank Road in Kingswood and St Mary Street in Thornbury where short stay availability is in high demand.
- The price of long stay, weekly and season ticket charges will be reduced to support workers.
Occupancy rates in the car parks where charging has been introduced has varied as drivers have adapted to the new system. For example, in Kingswood, the Bank Road, Cecil Road, South Road and Kings Chase shopping centre car parks have had higher usage than was projected, while Boultons Road has seen fewer users. In Thornbury, Castle Court and St Mary’s Street car parks have been used more than projected, while Rock Street car park has been used less. In Yate, the Kennedy Way car park has been used less than predicted, while the Leisure Centre car park has had more use than estimated prior to the scheme being introduced.
The validation scheme, which allows visitors to park for free in car parks close to GP surgeries and the Minor Injuries Unit and Leisure Centre in Yate, has also been effective. More than 190,000 visits have been registered across the six sites since the scheme was implemented.
South Gloucestershire Council Cabinet Member for Communities and Local Place, Councillor Sean Rhodes, said: “We introduced the scheme because as a council we need to be able to balance the books and to fund the vital services that so many people rely on.
“The scheme has been effective, with most drivers adapting to using the app and our charged-for car parks are being used well.
“We deliberately kept the price as low as possible, but we always wanted to engage with local people and businesses about how the scheme was working on the ground. As much as everyone would prefer not to pay for parking at all, we’ve had some really good discussions that have led to the suite of changes and improvements.
“We know many local businesses and high streets are facing challenges, which is happening across the country. We continue to support our high streets and traders though a range of schemes and initiatives and this work goes on.
“We have taken a balanced approach, which we believe will help keep our high streets thriving, while also underpinning our other vital work, supporting people young and old, and everyone in between, who relies on council services.”
While the changeover to the new tariff and rules will take place for Monday 29 June, it will take a few weeks to remove all of the markings on the limited number of parking bays previously allocated in each affected car park for 30-minute free stays. From Monday 29, drivers may park for up to 30 minutes for free in any bay and ignore those markings.
The following page shows the current and updated car parking tariffs for all the South Gloucestershire car parks where the scheme is in place. The changes will not come into effect until 29 June: http://sites.southglos.gov.uk/newsroom/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/04/Updated-car-parking-tariffs-for-June-2026.pdf.
