Blackpool Council may start to hike prices at car parks during the seaside resort's most popular events.
Dynamic pricing policies would see higher fees charged to park in the resort's central parking areas, LancsLive reports. Town hall bosses said the proposals would mainly affect visitors who are willing to pay premium rates to park as close as possible to big events such as the Blackpool Air Show.
The scheme, which is being proposed as part of budget plans for the coming financial year, would also help fund many of the town's free events like the Blackpool Illuminations. Blackpool Council chief executive Neil Jack said: "During big events such as the Air Show people are willing to park on double yellow lines, even though they know they will get a fine, in order to get as close as possible to the event.
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"Others are willing to park further away and use public transport to get to the event. Some other towns already use dynamic pricing and it makes events self-funding.
"By doing this, our free events could be self-funding rather than being funded by the council tax." Mr Jack said the higher prices would mainly be paid by visitors, with residents already more likely to use public transport or other means to reach big events.
It would not affect existing parking arrangements, such as the discounted parking offered in the town centre at Christmas to attract shoppers. The council needs to make savings of £23m in order to set its budget for 2023/24, with an increase in council tax of five per cent proposed.
Record crowds lined the Promenade for last year’s air show with some estimates saying up to 200,000 people attended over the two days. Featuring the Red Arrows, the Typhoon and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight among other displays, it was the first air show in the resort since 2019 following the Covid pandemic.
Last year a park and ride option was available with parking provided at Blackpool Airport and visitors then able to take the tram towards the Tower Festival Headland.
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