Next week, Cabinet members will discuss the new Car Parking Strategy for 2024-2029 which aims to develop and implement plans to help Car Parking Services, deliver statutory duties and deliver our vision for providing essential parking services across the borough.

Following the opening of the Glassworks and the increase in town centre footfall, the new strategy sets out a new way to manage and regulate our car parks for the next five years.

The strategy aims to:

• Provide sufficient parking to support town centre activities.
• Improve accessibility and signage to car parking within the town centre and from key routes to reduce the need for unnecessary traffic movements in the town centre.
• Rationalise car parking tariffs, whilst supporting the vitality and economic attractiveness of the town centre to visitors, investors, and developers.
• Provide sufficient enforcement to support the efficient operation and management of the car parks.
• Support carbon reduction and air quality management goals by providing the infrastructure for additional electric vehicle charging.

If approved, the five-year plan will be implemented later this year.

The strategy outlines a coherent, simpler and consistent charging plan for all car parks across the borough. We’ll continue to offer free weekend parking across our town centre car parks excluding multi-story where a small fee of £1 for the first 3 hours will be introduced. The maximum amount for most car parks will be reduced to £5. This will support economic growth whilst ensuring affordability for our residents, local businesses and visitors. Principal Towns and cultural car parks will be considered in the future alongside other transformation plan strategies.

The strategy has been developed based on feedback from the 2024 car parking consultation and assesses the availability of spaces, location, quality, and cost, considers existing and future demand. It aims to meet the needs of all our road and service users.

Cllr James Higginbottom, Cabinet Spokesperson for Environment and Highways said: “As part of our commitment to our fabulous and thriving Town Centre, we need a Car Parking Strategy that can manage our car parks effectively and provide the best possible experience for residents and visitors - which is exactly what this new Strategy does.

"We will embrace new technologies and innovation to improve customer experience and make sure that our car parking assets are best used to support the ongoing regeneration and transformation of Barnsley Town Centre.”

This strategy has been developed to align with the Council's Local Plan and Town Centre Masterplan, guiding the future growth and quality of the town centre.