Sunday buses and residents’ parking schemes proposed in parking review

Abbey Foregate car park in Shrewsbury

A review of parking in Shropshire’s market towns will be considered by Shropshire Council’s Cabinet at its meeting next week (14 October 2026), which could see the return of Sunday buses in Shrewsbury for the first time in over a decade.

The review has looked at the impact parking has on residential areas, and alternatives to town centre parking, as well as balancing affordability with demand.

It also considers parking charges – and the times at which they apply – in towns across the county and proposes some changes to parking bands, charges and charging hours

Cabinet is being asked to approve a consultation into the proposed changes, which could see the introduction of a Sunday park and ride service in Shrewsbury.

This review aims to balance the income raised from parking charges with the objectives of Shropshire’s draft Local Transport Plan, which seeks to encourage sustainable travel choices and reduce congestion in town centres.

The proposed measures will provide additional revenue which will be directly reinvested into maintenance and improvements to the council’s transport services. By raising additional revenue from parking, the council is able to focus general council funds on protecting other essential services. This is all in the context of Shropshire Council’s wider financial position, and the Best Value Notice issued by the Ministry for Communities, Housing and Local Government.

The proposed changes are subject to public consultation, with all consultation responses being considered before any changes are implemented. No changes would be introduced before Christmas. On-street parking would remain free for blue badge holders.

Shrewsbury park and ride could operate on a Sunday under the proposals

Rob Wilson, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for transport and regeneration, said:

“In short, this review takes a comprehensive and over-arching look at parking and traffic management across the county, protects low-cost parking options, and offers the chance to see buses operating in Shrewsbury on a Sunday for the first time in over a decade.

“The proposed measures will provide additional revenue which will be directly reinvested into maintenance and improvements to our transport services, and support local road improvements. They will help us to better manage demand for parking, promote turnover of spaces, and support the use of alternative modes of transport, such as Park & Ride.

“The transport funding that Shropshire Council is receiving from the Government is not keeping track with costs, so we must look to other sources to support stretched budgets. At the same time we need to look at ways to encourage people to use alternatives forms of travel, ways to reduce congestion, and ensure that parking charges in each of our market towns are fair and appropriate.

“Parking charges were last increased in November 2025, the first rise in three years. As we announced last week, the additional income raised following last year’s rise has enabled us to keep the Meole Brace park and ride service operating. We appreciate that in the main these changes impact Shrewsbury, but in terms of transport and facilities the town is better served than other market towns. In carrying out the review we’ve listened to the views of local businesses and residents and thank them for their comments.

“Increasing parking charges has enabled us to keep Meole Brace Park and Ride operating. The changes we’re proposing now would also enable us to provide a Sunday park and ride service, alongside the evening park and ride that is due to start on 1 November – something I’m confident will be welcomed by many.”

Cabinet will also be asked to approve an annual review of parking charges in Shropshire.

The changes align with the objectives of Shropshire’s emerging Local Transport Plan, which seeks to encourage sustainable travel choices and reduce congestion in town centres.

A consultation on Shropshire draft Local Transport Plan 2027-37 runs from 5 October to 16 November [2026].

Further information

1. The proposals are intended to:

• improve the availability and turnover of the most centrally located parking spaces;
• encourage longer-stay users to use less central and lower-cost parking;
• support greater use of public transport, Park and Ride, walking and cycling where practical alternatives are available;
• provide a clearer relationship between the location, demand and tariff applying to each parking place; and,
• support the council’s wider transport and parking objectives.

2. Shropshire Council’s car parks and parking areas currently sit within seven bands from band 1 (Shrewsbury on-street parking) to band 7 (free parking). Under the proposals:

• The operation hours of bands 1 to 4 car parks and parking areas are proposed to extend from 8am to 6pm, to 8am to 8pm.
• In band 2 the current half-rate tariff on Sundays and bank holidays would be removed and the full tariff would apply.
• In band 4 charging would be extended to Sundays and bank holidays when the half-rate tariff would apply.

3. The existing and proposed standard hourly tariffs are summarised below:

• Band 1: Current – £3.60; Proposed –  £4.80
• Band 2: Current – £2.80; Proposed – £3.80
• Band 2, Raven Meadows multi-storey car park: Current – £2.40; Proposed – £2.50
• Band 3: Current – £1.40; Proposed – £2.00
• Band 4: Current – £1.20; Proposed – £1.00
• Band 5: Current – 70p; Proposed – 70p
• Band 6: Current – 40p; Proposed – 70p
• Band 7: Current – free; Proposed – free

NB. Minimum purchase periods, maximum charges, charging days and hours vary between locations.

4. The following changes to the banding of individual car parks are proposed:

• Shirehall Overflow, Shrewsbury, would move from Band 5 to Band 6, reducing the hourly tariff from 70p to 40p.
• St Mary’s Lane, Much Wenlock, would move from Band 5 to Band 6, reducing the hourly tariff from £70p to 40p.
• Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury would move from Band 5 to Band 4, increasing the hourly tariff from 70p to £1, bringing it in line with Frankwell Car Park, for which the tariff would reduce from £1.20 an hour to £1 an hour.

5. A benchmarking exercise has been undertaken to compare Shropshire Council’s parking tariff review arrangements with those of neighbouring and comparable local authorities. The review demonstrates that many authorities have either recently implemented parking charge increases or established regular review mechanisms following prolonged periods during which tariffs remained unchanged. In several cases, including Worcester, Cheshire West and Chester, Wiltshire and Devon, significant increases have been introduced to address the cumulative effects of inflation, rising operating costs and the need to maintain and invest in parking infrastructure. The benchmarking indicates that Shropshire Council’s recent parking tariff review is consistent with emerging practice across the sector.