FREE parking after 2pm has been axed at Chester city centre's Linenhall car park.
The move by Chester Race Company follows the abolition of Cheshire West and Chester Council’s popular ‘Free after 3’ parking initiative in city centre car parks, as the authority sought to balance its budget.
The change takes place from Monday, November 19, meaning drivers cannot park for free after 2pm on weekdays or all day on a Sunday.
Instead, Chester Race Company will adopt the same car parking policy as is in place at Chester Racecourse at an all-day rate of £5 per car, while overnight parking is available at £10 per car.
However, the car park will be free for those taking advantage of late-night Thursday shopping in Chester in the run-up to Christmas.
On each Thursday from November 22 to December 20, the car park will be free from 5-10pm.
It will also continue to be free on the last Sunday of each month outside of the racing season, such as Sunday, November 25 and Sunday, December 30, with parking also free of charge at Chester Racecourse on these dates.
The free parking on selected Sundays initiative will be replaced once the racing season starts in May 2019, where parking will be free on the Sunday following a Saturday race meeting.
Linenhall car park had been subject to a substantial 544-bed, six-storey student accommodation proposal, but those plans have come to naught and the site will remain as a car park for the foreseeable future.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here