Councillors approve reduction of car park discount period

Christmas shoppers benefiting from an hour’s free parking this November and December will be coughing up full price next winter.

That is the plan after a change in the fee structure was agreed at a meeting of Orkney Islands Council (OIC) development and infrastructure committee today (Tuesday, November 14).

Islands councillors were told that the current model — which allows one hour’s free parking in short stay car parks from the beginning of October to the end of April — leaves it running at a loss.

Officers recommended revising the fee structure, reducing the “winter” discount period to the three months from January to March. The rest of the year, customers would be charged full price, under the current tariff system.

A report by the council’s corporate director for neighbourhood services and infrastructure, Hayley Green, suggests this would generate an additional £89,976.00 in income for the authority.

As it stands, OIC charges £1.20 for one hour of parking in its short stay car parks between May and September. This is now set to be extended to include April, October, November and December.

For the full story, pick up the forthcoming edition of The Orcadian.