New parking charges in Oswestry, Ellesmere and Wem from Monday 28 January

Parking will be free this Sunday [27 January 2019] in Shropshire Council’s car parks in Oswestry, Ellesmere* and Wem, and in Ellesmere’s Mereside on-street parking bays, while parking machines are re-programmed and new signage put in place ahead of changes to each town’s parking charges which come into effect the following day (*except for The Moors and Castlefields car parks in Ellesmere).

The new parking arrangements are being introduced as part of Shropshire Council’s new parking strategy and offer a wide range of benefits to people parking in these three towns, including:

• A set price per hour to park – making charges simpler.
• 15 minutes’ pop and shop parking – including 10 minutes’ statutory grace period.
• Payment by contactless, card and coin with new pay and display machines.
• Cashless parking with MiPermit – pay using your smartphone, text message, website and telephone.
• Free parking from 6pm to 8am.
• Free parking after eight hours in all car parks, except Festival Square in Oswestry
• No more short-stay parking.
• Free parking on Sundays and bank/public holidays in all car parks, except in Festival Square, Oswestry and excluding HGV parking charges at Oswald Road, Oswestry
• Half-price parking on Sundays and Bank/public holidays in Festival Square, Oswestry
• Discounted weekly tickets in all car parks, except Festival Square in Oswestry
• Discounted season tickets in all car parks, except Festival Square in Oswestry
• Discounted residents’ permits in all car parks, except Festival Square in Oswestry

Steve Davenport, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and transport, said:

“Our new parking strategy is designed to make parking charges clearer and simpler, and to deliver a wide range of other improvements and benefits to people using our car parks.
“The new parking charges and arrangements agreed last autumn have already been successfully introduced in Shrewsbury and Ludlow, Bridgnorth, Much Wenlock and Church Stretton.
“The new arrangements offer a wide range of benefits to users of our car parks, and a number of improvements on the current arrangements, including a variety of free and cheap parking, and parking charges that are easier to understand – together with a wider range of payment methods.”

Following their introduction in Oswestry, Ellesmere and Wem, new parking charges are due to be rolled out in Market Drayton, Whitchurch and Prees Heath on 11 February 2019.

For more information, go to shropshire.gov.uk/parking.

Further information

In OSWESTRY – the new parking charges/arrangements from Monday 28 January (in Shropshire Council car parks) are:

Festival Square – Linear (per minute) charges apply – £1/hr

• Minimum charge £1.
• Parking for one to four hours – CHEAPER than before changes except bank/public holidays.
• Parking now available for more than four hours as no short-stay.
• FREE parking from 6pm to 8am.
• Half-price parking on Sundays and bank/public holidays (50p/hour).
• 23 car parking spaces.

Beatrice Street – Linear (per minute) charges apply – 70p/hr

• Minimum charge 70p.
• FREE parking on Sundays.
• FREE parking on bank/public holidays.
• FREE parking from 6pm to 8am.
• Parking for one to three hours Monday to Saturday – CHEAPER than before the changes.
• Parking now available for more than three hours as no short-stay.
• NEW weekly tickets available – seven days’ parking for £24.
• NEW discounted season tickets and residents’ permits.
• 100 car parking spaces.

Oswald Road – Linear (per minute) charges apply – 30p/hr

• Minimum charge 30p.
• Maximum charge £2.40 per day.
• FREE parking on Sundays – CHEAPER than before the changes.
• FREE parking on bank/public holidays.
• FREE parking from 6pm to 8am.
• Parking for three hours or less – CHEAPER than before the changes.
• NEW weekly tickets available – seven days’ parking for £10.
• Discounted season tickets and residents’ permits.
• 33 car parking bays.

Oak Street – Linear (per minute) charges apply – 30p/hr

• Minimum charge 30p.
• Maximum charge £2.40 per day.
• FREE parking on Sundays – CHEAPER than before the changes.
• FREE parking on bank/public holidays.
• FREE parking from 6pm to 8am.
• Parking for three hours or less – CHEAPER than before the changes.
• NEW weekly tickets available – seven days’ parking for £10.
• Discounted season tickets and residents’ permits.
• 206 car parking bays.

Gatacre – FREE

Lloyd Street – FREE

In ELLESMERE the new parking charges/arrangements from Monday 28 January (in Shropshire Council car parks, and on-street at Mereside) are:

Mereside on-street – Linear (per minute) charges apply – £1/hr

• Minimum charge £1.
• FREE parking from 6pm to 8am.
• 26 car parking spaces.

Talbot Street – Linear (per minute) charges apply – 30p/hr

• Minimum charge 30p.
• Maximum charge £2.40 per day.
• FREE parking on Sundays.
• FREE parking on bank/public holidays.
• FREE parking from 6pm to 8am.
• NEW weekly tickets available – seven days’ parking for £10.
• Discounted season tickets and residents’ permits.
• 69 car parking bays.

Cross Street – Linear (per minute) charges apply – 30p/hr

• Minimum charge 30p.
• Maximum charge £2.40 per day.
• FREE parking on Sundays.
• FREE parking on bank/public holidays.
• FREE parking from 6pm to 8am.
• NEW weekly tickets available – seven days’ parking for £10.
• Discounted season tickets and residents’ permits.
• 85 car parking bays.

Spar Bridge – Linear (per minute) charges apply – 30p/hr

• Minimum charge 30p.
• Maximum charge £2.40 per day.
• FREE parking on Sundays.
• FREE parking on bank/public holidays.
• FREE parking from 6pm to 8am.
• NEW weekly tickets available – seven days’ parking for £10.
• Discounted season tickets and residents’ permits.
• MiPermit/Cashless Parking to be used for all parking periods
• Removal of pay and display machine
• 24 car parking bays

In WEM the new parking charges/arrangements from Monday 28 January (in Shropshire Council car parks) are:

High Street – Linear (per minute) charges apply – 30p/hr

• Minimum charge 30p.
• Maximum charge £2.40 per day.
• FREE parking on Sundays.
• FREE parking on bank/public holidays.
• FREE parking from 6pm to 8am.
• NEW weekly tickets available – seven days’ parking for £10.
• Discounted season tickets and residents’ permits.
• 239 car parking bays.

Leek Street – Linear (per minute) charges apply – 30p/hr

• Minimum charge 30p.
• Maximum charge £2.40 per day.
• FREE parking on Sundays.
• FREE parking on bank/public holidays.
• FREE parking from 6pm to 8am.
• NEW weekly tickets available – seven days’ parking for £10.
• Discounted season tickets and residents’ permits.
• MiPermit/cashless parking to be used for all parking periods.
• Removal of pay and display machine.
• Eight car parking bays.

Mill Street – Linear (per minute) charges apply – 30p/hr

• Minimum charge 30p.
• Maximum charge £2.40 per day.
• FREE parking on Sundays.
• FREE parking on bank/public holidays.
• FREE parking from 6pm to 8am.
• NEW weekly tickets available – seven days’ parking for £10.
• Discounted season tickets and residents’ permits.
• MiPermit/cashless parking to be used for all parking periods.
• Removal of pay and display machine.
• 30 car parking bays.