Liverpool BID Company strongly urges Liverpool City Council to reconsider its position regarding the extension of evening parking restrictions. We understand the ambition to reduce congestion, to manage parking demand and to improve air quality, but this is not the right solution and risks harming Liverpool’s renowned and celebrated nightlife.

Many of our levy payers and city centre businesses have contacted us to voice their concerns, especially those within the hospitality, leisure and cultural sectors. They have told us they feel these changes disproportionately and negatively affect their operations.

Liverpool’s night-time economy is a critical ingredient in the city’s economic prosperity and its brand. The number of late night venues increased in the last year by 7.8%. This city’s nightlife is second only to London’s.

For 15 years running, Liverpool’s night-time economy has been awarded Purple Flag Status, international recognition for being safe and well managed. It is vital for us that Liverpool is welcome, vibrant and secure, whatever the time of day or night.

These changes threaten both that prosperity and sustainability. Everyone knows about the fears over the future of small businesses with rising operating costs, and the night time economy is not immune. Hospitality, leisure and cultural businesses are particularly exposed by these rising costs. It is more expensive to run a nighttime economy business now, before they even open their doors.

These parking changes impact on the ability of staff to travel home after working a late shift, it makes recruitment and retention harder for businesses. It is a deterrent to visitors, affecting footfall. There is a lack of late night travel options meaning people will just stay home.

If the Council is unwilling to reverse the post-6pm charge — the majority of UK cities do not charge for on-street parking after 6pm — we ask for an alternative solution: the introduction of a fair, transparent, and flat-rate evening parking tariff effective from 6pm onwards.

This would remove the burden from employees trying to get home. The money could be ring-fenced to pay for the public realm and to improve parking facilities and to improve late-night public transport services.

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